I haven't posted in here for a while, my 2 year old son keeps most of my time. Anyway, I have a question regarding my bolivian boa. I purchased him as a male but because of his size I'm starting to think he might be a she. The last time I measured him, he came out to 72 inches (6 feet) a few months ago and he just finished a shed. He's eating a jumbo rat every 2 weeks. I can't recall seeing a male bolivian this long and this fat before, he's almost as big around as a softball. Is there a good way to tell through size or tail shape or should I find someone to probe him? How hard is it to probe an adult snake with good results? He's about 4 years old. Probing might be hard for me since I don't know how to do it and I'm not up for the trial, and I don't know anybody that might be willing to in the Bay Area, CA. Anyway, thanks in advance.
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Bolivian Sex Size Question
Replies (5)
What is the appearance of the spurs on this boa? Are they mostly external all the way to the base of the spur, or are you seeing just the tip of the spur, and need to push scales aside and dig down into a recessed area to see the majority of the spur.
Kelly
[quoted text]
Description.--- Male. Squamation: scale rows 53-75-37; ventrals 237; caudals 50; supralabials 22, separated from the suboculars by a series of scales; infralabials 23 on the right side, 24 on the left; 17 scales in the right ocular ring, 19 in the left. Anal spurs present.
Dentition: mandibular teeth 18; maxillary 17; palatine 5; pterygoid 10.
Coloration: ground color of both dorsum and belly uniformly heavily gray-speckled; dorsal series of 22 median spots on the body, 5 on the tail, the spots of the midbody region being saddle-shaped but each with a definite tapering process extending anteriorly in the vertebral line and another extending posteriorly; the dorsal spots connected by a dark dorso-lateral streak on either side, bearing each a pale elongate spot at the lateral edge; a series of alternating dark spots, usually with light centers, on the sides; posteriorly and on the tail the spots are larger and quadrangular in shape. Total length 495 mm.; tail length 51 mm. or 10.3 percent of the total.
Variation.---The seven paratypes show the following variation: scale rows 53-61 at the neck, 71-79 in the middle of the body, 37-43 anterior to the vent; ventrals 226-237; caudals 43-52; supralabials 20-24; infralabials 23-27; oculars 15-20; anal spurs much smaller in females than in males; maxillary teeth 17-18; pterygoids 10-11; tail length from 8.3 to 13.8 percent of the total length, the largest specimen (field no. 9197) measuring 1570 mm.
Remarks.---Of the eight specimens examined two have the mental shield as broad as long, three have it longer than broad, and three broader than long. This form is thus intermediate between C. c. constrictor and C. c. occidentalis in this character as well as geographically, and the latter should therefore be considered a subspecies rather than a full species, as hitherto.
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TnK
Kelly: I will be cleaning cages this weekend so I will take more pics of the tail and some close up shots to get better angles and hopefully show off the spurs more.
TnK......um....what?? I have no idea what you just said to me at all. I never learned how to count scales or even what to look for on your subject. Sorry, but I'm still a new guy.
With a boa constrictor that size, spur sexing is very easy.
Kelly
Take him/her to East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley. I'm quite sure with a call-ahead notice, they would help you sex your snake.
