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Guyana Rainbows?

gizzy20001 Feb 17, 2012 11:12 PM

I was just given a young pair of Guyana Rainbow boas, the owner bought them at a reptile expo last month and fell on hard times. these are very small, one is about 12-14 inches and the other is closer to 20 and twice as big around. anyways I've been looking online and as far as I can tell the Guyana Rainbow boa is not a species anymore... so what do I have? columbian? these do not have the red of a Brazilian.

Replies (8)

Jeff Clark Feb 18, 2012 09:46 PM

Great question. Guyanans were not a recognized species or even subspecies before the reorganization of the Rainbow Boas. People mistakenly called them crassus because they sort of look like crassus but their range is far from the range of crassus and they are much smaller snakes. They are also smaller and thinner than E. maurus the Colombian Rainbow and E. cenchria the Brazilian Rainbow that they should probably be a seperate species. My first thought is that when they reorganized the Rainbow Boas they forgot about these snakes again. I will have a closer look at the paper on the reorganization and see if that is really the case.

gizzy20001 Feb 18, 2012 10:14 PM

the Larger one

and again after setting it back in the tank

and the smaller one

and after setting the smaller one in it's tank

Jeff Clark Feb 19, 2012 12:33 PM

I think they are Colombian Rainbow Boas, Epicrates maurus. 95 percent sure of the larger one and 85 percent sure of the smaller one. Can you take more photos of the smaller one and how big is it?

gizzy20001 Feb 19, 2012 12:51 PM

if they do end up being columbian that's not a terrible thing I'm still coming out ahead, I got the pair for $60. the guy I got them from is just going on what the vendor at the expo told him... so they could be columbian and the seller was just trying to make a sale. here are a few more of the smaller one. with a dollar for size comparison.

Jeff Clark Feb 20, 2012 10:19 AM

Looks like a Colombian. Just gonna have to grow it up to be sure.

BuzzardBall Feb 21, 2012 05:07 PM

I'm w/Jeff! All the Guyanan's I have seen have lateral striping! Those could be hybrids! How do they feed? Guyanan's are notorious "pita's"!

gizzy20001 Feb 21, 2012 05:09 PM

feeding response is awesome, they both pound mice without hesitation

BuzzardBall Feb 21, 2012 05:12 PM

I wouldn't think they're Guyanan's then! I'd say odd Columbian or a Columbian intergrade!

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