Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey all...I'm realy interested in getting a red tail boa. But theres still some things im little confused about. I'm just looking for a regular Columbian i guess...red tail boa. How many different types of red tails are there, or sub species. Also how big do they get. I've heard size ranges from 4.5 feet to 14! Thanks for the help.

Chris

There are lots, Locality wise, theres Argentine, Surinam, basically every South American Country has a type, The "Common" Boa is usually from Colombia, they are the ones you see for sale in most pet shops, there are Central Americans, every country, and even up to the sonoran desert in mexico. There is island forms of boa, like hogg islands, cay caulkers, The island forms tend to be the smaller ones, and it seems like the closer you get to the amazon, the bigger the boas seem to get. There is such a HUGE range of color and pattern, in boas, you almost have to keep your eye open for one that catches your eye, and you like. Then there is the morphs, wich doubles your choices, Sunglows (Hypo Albino), Albinos, Hypos, Anery, Pastel, Motley, Arabesques, And more in the future. You can't go wrong with a classic Colombian Boa, They tend to get about 7-9 feet on average, I am sure people will have thier own opinion on size, but thats what I usually see, and they tend to be really mellow boas. They also tend to be on the cheaper end of the price scale, and for your first boa thats a good choice. That was my first boa, and I have loved them since. Good luck and hope you get more posts, and opinions.
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"Life is a Safari"

Thank you so much for the quick reply! That helps me a lot. I once read in REPTILES magazine an article about "mini boas" I think I will go back over that and get some follow up. I guess those are the ones from the islands like you said. One more thing, how much does a baby Colombian usauly go for? I always see them at the reptile shows I visit. Thanks again. Any more info would be greatly appreciated.

chris

You can usually pic up a Colombian boa for Between $50-$150, Sometimes breeders that have a surplus blow them out for Under $100, Some of your island morphs go for a bit more, Hogg Islands go for $175-$200 each, Depending on color and pattern, prices vary, But If you keep your eyes open you can usually find good deals on Colombians for $50-$75. I once snapped up a good deal for a trio for $100, and It was the best $100 I have ever spent. Good Luck and Keep your eyes open, Every once and a while a killer deal comes around but You really Have to check everyday, cause they usually are gone in less than a few days.
Good luck.
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"Life is a Safari"