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I know what a "Blood Boa" is, but I don't know what they are. What are they? I mean, what has happened genetically to make them. What is turned off or turned on in the making of what we see visually in them? Are they some different form of "T-Positive"? Are they a simple recessive that just has a greater amount of red influence than other average Boas? What are they?

Also, please post pictures of your Blood Boas. Especially adults. I'd like to see more of them and how they turn out as older animals.
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Jeff, they might be some form of Hyper Erythrism. Well, if not chemically, the name definately is a technical name to describe them.

This was one question I asked Tom back in '04 when I got my possible hets. And something I do want to answer one day.

Jeremy Stone, Bill Gaines, Tracy Barker, and John Berry all have pictures on their sites of adult Bloods from the pure El Salvador lineage. Which in my personal opinion, looks the best.

I have yet to see one that looks like what I would expect from a Hyper Erythristic Boa though. I have, and have seen lots of other Boas that are much more red that the Blood Boas I have seen. I have seen tree boas that are redder than any Boa Constrictor I have seen. Colubrids that have red that is much more vivid than Blood Boas are. A Melanistic Boa would be totally black. Much blacker than any other Boa out there. In the same way a true Hyper Erythristic Boa should be more red than we have ever seen. But they are not. In fact most of them are orange. Kind of a dirty orange. I am not trying to disparage, I am trying to get my head around what exactly might be going on with them. I am considering getting into them and trying to figure out what is going on with them to determine if Blood Boas may be a way to make something really really different using just the right something else. This would be easier to do if I could understand what is going on. But alas, my finite and glue fume damaged brain so far are unable to make sense of it relative to other better understood mutations.
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From the animals I have seen the Orange ones come from the Salmon and Colombian lines. Not pure El Salvador. Those are a DEEP red as adults.

I would compare Erythristic to Melanistic. Erythristic being a boa that is RED, just red. Hyper can have many meanings, but just means more than normal. So technically ANY boa with a little more than normal Erythrin levels could be characterized as this.

Just like Hypo Melanistic has a lot of meanings. There is the Hypo morph, but TECHNICALLY Pastels, Caramel, T-Plus, and even Albinos are all forms of Hypomelanism. They have LESS Melanin than normal.

Just my logic, lol. I've been known to have a twisted mind!

What you need in your life Jeff. Smaller better boas! With your favorite thing, lots of RED!

I love Bloods and Bloody Salmons!

Well I just thought I'd add my 2p's worth on the subject of erythrism. I was lucky enough to spend 2 years doing research in the Dominican Republic. I saw hundreds of Epicrates striatus, usually a pretty 'ugly' looking boa. Well, in one location I observed a high percentage of what one would have to call erythristic animals. However, interestingly these varied between being orange and black (as you mention for the B.c's) and deep deep red and black. Honestly they were incredible, especially the deep red ones. I have some photos somewhere. I know of one breeder in Europe who has them. One day they'll make it onto the 'scene' I'm sure.
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Jeff, what is your point ? You know more than any one else how it works with colors whene it comes to pastels and albinos. So have you got a pastel or an hypo axanthic boa to make a real red boa ?

I just can't figure out what it is exactly. What does the simple recessive "Blood Boa" gene do in it's homozygous form? What exactly is turned off or on? I am not able to figure it out exactly. I think figuring it out could be key to knowing what the best thing is to breed with a Blood Boa. That's all.
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I think its just that your thinking is beyond what most have thought of to this point.

Its alot like a puzzle if you find the right fit you get the diesired result. The key is finding which puzzle the piece belongs with.

Great question...tough answer. At this point I guess only time will tell. I love the thinking behind it though.
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Thanks Vinnie Caruso
opinons are like a--holes... everybody has one and they all stink

Here are some pics from my website. I'll be quick since the "Old Guys Club" down at the coffee shop are waiting for me.

bill@gainesreptiles.com

www.GainesReptiles.com

Fulfilling Your Endless Passion!

PS: Bloods breeding as I type!!!

Blood on Snow from last season. Take note of my awesome Snow female with her "butter-yellow" background and "snow-white" saddles (I fail to see any comparison with an Albino)

bill@gainesreptiles.com

www.GainesReptiles.com

Fulfilling Your Endless Passion!

PS: Bloods breeding as I type!!!

Somebody give that little guy a boost!

That "little guy" is a full-grown adult (2003, around 4-1/2' in length and has the girth of a tennis ball.

That should give a feel for the size of the gal he is riding!

2nd hint ... throws over 50 babies.

Bill

I don't know either.. Oh, I know when I see an animal that has the traits of Blood boas but just what it is and how it works are a mystery to me. (but I'm a dummy at how all that works)..
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Keep in mind that you can inbreed for practically any look or trait and you will get more of your targeted looks in the offspring in a fairly predictable way, this doesn't mean the trait is something specific that is passed on in any breeding as a recessive or dominant genetic trait. I'm supposing this has all been demonstrated in multiple generations? .. or the Boas are sold on looks alone, not inheritable genetics?
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I've seen many boas of all sizes that had the looks of a Blood boa. By that I mean reduced or dispersed melanin in places where it normally is seen and a tendency to be red or reddish as adults.. yet the boas are not RED, like red on the tail of a nice boa.
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In Mexico I've seen wild Boas that would pass for 'B' grade Bloods, adults, sitting in the road or on the sand. And they have a lot of the pattern-looks of the El salvador snakes as well. I was just in Mexico last Summer and I saw a Boa a friend had (looking for the pics!) that he brought from isla Mujeres. It could pass for a very orange Blood boa. It's now in that roadside Zoo between Pto. Morelos and Can Cun.
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Gus
A. Rentfro
RioBravoReptiles.com
www.riobravoreptiles.com

"Quality is not an accident. Perfectly healthy animals are a minimum requirement.. everything else is just salesmanship" gus

What is a blood boa ? Simple. The name Blood boa is yet another over stated flash tag. I remember first hearing about them and from the early hype what I expected to see was a truly blood red boa what it turned out to be was just another copper'ish colored central American with maybe some redish high lights . I think Dried Blood might be a better name.

Thank YOU !! Ernie !!

M/

>>What is a blood boa ? Simple. The name Blood boa is yet another over stated flash tag. I remember first hearing about them and from the early hype what I expected to see was a truly blood red boa what it turned out to be was just another copper'ish colored central American with maybe some redish high lights . I think Dried Blood might be a better name.
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While were plinking .... want a few more targets to pop a round at ? rotf ....

M/

>>Thank YOU !! Ernie !!
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>>M/
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>>>>What is a blood boa ? Simple. The name Blood boa is yet another over stated flash tag. I remember first hearing about them and from the early hype what I expected to see was a truly blood red boa what it turned out to be was just another copper'ish colored central American with maybe some redish high lights . I think Dried Blood might be a better name.
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What makes anyone think it IS a morph?
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
slithering-serpents.com

1.1 guyana bcc
1.2 suriname bcc
0.2 DH snow bci
0.1 red possible DH snow bci
0.2 hypo possible het moonglow bci
0.1 possible het albino bci

Personally I like were future breedings of the Blood Boa are headed. I like I agree that they are very "dirty" looking. Personally, I'd like to see some pastel mixed to clean them up. I believe then you will see some truly red/orange boas.

I don't own one and if they keep the high price tag, probably never will. But here's a picture of my "wanna-be".

Amie
Link

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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

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Amie
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6.5 Colombian b.c.i. (various morphs)
4.3 Nicaraguan boas (various morphs)
1.0 Bluefield's Nicaraguan boa "Shadow"
0.1 Poss. Super Hypo Hog Island Boa "Pumpkin"
1.0 Corn Island Boa
0.1 Sears Hog Island Boa "Oink"

I never thought the blood boa was all that great but the hypo bloods are pretty nice. I have this girl who I bred with a coral albino and all her babies turned out quite normal. They are starting to get some pinks now that they are 3 years of age or older but I am hoping this is simple recessive. Who really knows.
By the way this girl is 10 years old and looks like that!!!!

Is she a regular Colombian BCI ?
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