Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just get kinda huffy when people talk like BCI are some kind of boring substandard boa.What is a True Redtail and how come BCI arent when they have essentially the same color tail as the others?
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Suri's are the true red-tails. Their tails never fade as they age... they're always the same bright red color. BCI boas tend to fade or lose the red color as they grow.

Nuthin' down on BCI!
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1.1.0 Ball pythons (Diablo, Mercedes)
Soon to have 0.1.0 RTB (Kinky)
0.2.0 Cats (Kate and Clarice)
1.0.0 Rabbits (Milosh)

As a general rule, BCC are regarded as the 'true' redtails due to their tendency to have red tails that do not fade as they mature. BCI are widely considered 'common' boas and their tails usually are not as red as a BCC's. BCC's and BCI's also live in different locations in Central & South America.
Hope I didn't further muddy the waters for you.

If you've had many of either you wounldnt say their tails are essentially the same color, because they aren't.
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recycle your pets

The difference in tail color when comparing the common bci to the common bcc is quite vast.

If I may, I would compare it to....

Ever see a tree in the fall/winter, when the leves start to turn and color up? Well, the branches are brown, the leaves are turning from green to yellow to orange to red and so on. There is not a solid color, and there are many varying colors, BUT, when looked at from far away, the whole tree looks 'orange' or 'red'.

Now think of a Fire Engine/Truck. There is no confusion.. there is no mixing of colors, or less dominant or more dominant color... it is solid, bright RED. No spots, no lines, no fading...

That's the difference in tails.

The difference in body structure, habitat, and care are also extensive.

Several years back, when you compared a typical imported colombian to a typical imorted surinam or other bcc, the bcc typically cost 3-5 times as much and looked alot better as well (meaning bolder markings, brighter colors, red tails).

Nowadays, there has been much more work done with bci, since they are more common, and easier to care for, and so the degree of quality of bci these days is unlike it ever has been.

These days you WILL see colombian bci with tails like true bcc.

These days, there are also more True Colombian Redtails (BCC) being imported and being bred from previous importations. However, so to not let this get out of hand, true colombian bcc are rare. It is very unlikely that you will pickup a 'colombian redtail' from a petshop or from any Joe online, and it turn out to be a true bcc/redtail.

What you hear is probably more from frustrated people who were just dealing with the fact that many pet shops and others have mislabeled bci as redtails for marketing purposes or what have you.
This is almost like referring to any aberrant boa as a proven well known morph out there. It really bothers some people. Probably moreso those that have worked so hard to do the right thing, the right way, and that's understandable.

I used to love bcc, and I still do, but my passion for bci far exceeds that... whether you call them common boas, colombians, or whatever, they are still amazing, wonderful, and unique animals to me! 200 , and although I should be selling, i'm always looking at the latest ads! lol

Hope that clears it up..

Take care, Joe Rollo - Bci Joe
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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

Ive never owned a bcc so I didnt know that there was a difference other than the obvious saddles and such..The tails all look similiar when looking at babies in ads....I love my bci and wouldnt trade her for all the fancy redtails here..Thanx all
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