Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I have been lurking around here for a couple of months now.
2 months ago I finally made the plunge into keeping boa's...
So here are some pics of my 2 month old 0.1 BCC named 'Aiki'

She's around 52 cm now and growing very fast! Her colors in the pictures don't come out so much, but you can see she has a lot of pink on her sides.
She is CB, so I don't know her geographical background, maybe someone else could tell me just which Boa she is.

She's a beauty whatever she is. Nice and pink.
John
-----
"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

Her tail is a nice, clean red like a Bcc, and she has a low saddle count, but the shape of her head and background color look Bci to me. Even though she is captive bred, the breeder knows the origin of the parents and should share that information with you. If that snake was sold as 100% Bcc and priced accordingly, I would contact the breeder and request information on the parents' origin. If I were to guess, I would say she is half Bci/half Peruvian Bcc. Regardless, she is a nice looking snake, and as long as you're happy with her, that's fine. I just think everyone has the right to know exactly what they are buying, and if the breeder doesn't know, they should admit it.

.
-----
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

Well, the breeder gave me his 'word' is was a real Bcc... But as you know, there are a lot of crossbreeds out there. The breeder wasn't a commercial one, just a snake lover who happened to have some babie snakes. He maybe thought they were Bcc's. I couldn't see the parents because he had sold them, but he reassured me they were +3 meters.

I chose her from a litter of appr. 25 for her nice colors and because she was like the 'cutest'. Size isn't of the utmost importance, but I hope she'll grow bigger than a common Bci.

Btw, how can you really tell the difference between a Bci and a Bcc except for scale counting.
She indeed has low saddle counts and a nice red tail like the Bcc, but she hasn't got the widow peaks of a Bcc although this isn't always so.
What's the difference in the shape of the head??? How can you tell?

Anyway, thanks for the replies...
Koen

Bci can reach lengths of 10'-12' or more, but seldom do in captivity. In captivity, they usually max out at about 10 feet or so, almost identical to bcc, which can reach maybe 14' in the wild but seldom do in captivity.
I'm a little concerned that large size seems to be your main concern here...
Larger size has many disadvantages, and very few, if any, advantages..

take care, Joe
-----
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

Length isn't my main concern, but I just hope that she will be heavier and fatter (not obese!!!) than a common boa since Bci's are mostly a lot more slender than a Bcc. I don't have nothing against Bci though, they are very nice snakes.

I didn't want to make the impression that I hope to have a huge snake. If I wanted that I would have bought an anaconda or something similar.

I know my choice of words aren't the best, but I'm trying...

Greetz from Belgium,
Koen...

The main thing I notice regarding differences in the head appearance is that Bcc have sharper "facial features". By that, I mean the Bcc head is more angular whereas the Bci head is more rounded. Also, Bcc coloration usually has more contrast and the saddles and side medallions are more defined. The other big difference that isn't noticeable in you pictures is the belly. Bcc bellies are typically much more speckled than Bci. Maybe you could post a pic of your snake's underside...

As far as size goes, females usually get larger than males both in length and weight. So, you did well to get a female if you want a big one. Feeding has an impact on growth rate, so the more you feed, the faster it will grow. However, it is unhealthy to feed any snake too much. The more activity your snake gets (in or out of the cage), the more you can feed it while still keeping it healthy. A typical "high growth rate" feeding schedule for a young boa would be once every 5 to 7 days in the first year and once every 7 to 10 days in the second year. I personally am not interested in huge boas, so I feed once every 10 days in the first year and once every 14 days in the second year. Most growth occurs in the first 2 to 3 years. Bcc typically grow slower than Bci but most Bcc are capable of reaching larger adult sizes.

as it has been said , not a BCC a very nice BCI may be BCC X BCI surinam .One thing is sure it will be a very very nice boa , there is much colors to come !
Concerning your question , about head shape, have a look on the net for pics of surinam/guyana , you will understand !