Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Been awhile since I posted these two, and since they both shed within the past 4 days, I took a few pics during feeding tonight. I'm still amazed at how different they look. They're 1 year apart in age (3 and 4 years old), only 500g different in weight now (Mercedes caught up well in the past few months), but Pablo is still so orange and blank with a crisp white belly while Mercedes is very patterned, more brown, and more iridescent. I have paired them twice so far but haven't witnessed any breeding activity -- more to get them introduced to each other so that when they're together for the long haul, it won't be a big change. Since putting them together, Mercedes has developed a big color change -- she's gotten these bluish gray sides which makes her pattern more evident, and now she is REALLY rainbowy. She just shed 2 days ago so it has nothing to do with being blue. She just looks so different now -- I thought that as she gained weight, she would dull out and look more like Pabs...but she's gone even more drastically colorful. Thoughts?

Pablo:

Mercedes:

This was Mercedes just 2 months ago...:

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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

Jen,
....My Colombian Rainbow Boas did that back when they used to breed. I think it is the same as the white sidewalls we see in Brazilian and some other Rainbow Boas. In BRBs they do it more at night than during the day and mature females are more likely to do it though it does occur in immature animals and in males. We do not know for sure why Rainbow Boas do this. It must have something to do with reproduction though it could be indirectly related perhaps in making them more effective at ambushing prey at night and thus getting them ready for breeding season. Who knows?
Jeff

>>Been awhile since I posted these two, and since they both shed within the past 4 days, I took a few pics during feeding tonight. I'm still amazed at how different they look. They're 1 year apart in age (3 and 4 years old), only 500g different in weight now (Mercedes caught up well in the past few months), but Pablo is still so orange and blank with a crisp white belly while Mercedes is very patterned, more brown, and more iridescent. I have paired them twice so far but haven't witnessed any breeding activity -- more to get them introduced to each other so that when they're together for the long haul, it won't be a big change. Since putting them together, Mercedes has developed a big color change -- she's gotten these bluish gray sides which makes her pattern more evident, and now she is REALLY rainbowy. She just shed 2 days ago so it has nothing to do with being blue. She just looks so different now -- I thought that as she gained weight, she would dull out and look more like Pabs...but she's gone even more drastically colorful. Thoughts?
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>>Pablo:
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>>Mercedes:
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>>This was Mercedes just 2 months ago...:
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>>~* Jen *~
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>>Pink Lady Constrictors

So you're saying this is a purposeful color change probably related to breeding? I thought perhaps her meeting Pablo may have spurred it on. I was just shocked to see her, she looks like a completely different animal. She was 3 years old, 4 feet long, and 1000g when I got her -- since then, she's gained 600g and is now at a much better weight to breed. Pablo is huge -- 6 feet, 2100g at 4 years old. I'm excited if this color change is a good sign of things to come!
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~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors