Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I’m very enthusiastic to get into rosy boas. For a couple years now, I’ve had 1.2 San Diego Coastal Black & Blues from Larry at what was once American Desert Boas (what a great site!) and 1.1 “hypo” Anza Borrego Rosy Boa (Charina [Lichanura] trivirgata myriolepis) scientific name as described by VMS herp. Now they have a super hypo? but I digress.

Both of these have jagged stripping but I have seen Anza Borrego rosys for sale that have solid stripes and with various scientific names. It’s really leaching the enthusiasm out of it if I can’t at the least inform my fellow rosy fans of what I really have. Ideally, I would love to throw money that I don’t really have at these hypos and anery borregos but I heard out that all the anery borrego’s were used to make snows by crossing with whitewaters and the hypos from different sources have different stripping patterns.
As for the San Diego Coastal Black & Blues are they Charina [Lichanura] trivirgata roseofusca)? Can someone tell me what these are closely related to. I think they are a unicolor locale variant that was inbred to heighten the bluish color? Don’t see many of these advertised for sale or anything that looks quite as good as they do. They almost look anery. Are there any anery unicolors?

Sorry for the long post and random rants. I’m really in the dark here and I’ve read the forums. If anyone can point me to certain threads that would be great. I’m sure it’s all been discussed before.
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0.4 E. prasina
5.5 L. m. thayeri
1.1 H. nasicus
1.1 A. stimsoni
1.1 L. t. gaigeae
1.1 C. t. roseofusca

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.- Albert Einstein

Your San Diego boas are Coastal rosyboas, traditionally called Lichanura trivirgata rosefusca. Various localities can produce a range of colors. There do exist localities in San Diego where the rosies get very dark. There exist localities in extreme southern SD county and especially in northern Baja where the rosies have a faint pattern only and as adults appear a solid color.

Remember that scientists are doing their best to classify animals based on what evidence they have of their relationships and history. That evidence changes as technology changes. It is what it is. Names will change. New names will be proposed, not all are accepted.

This doesn't invalidate the animals. If you have animals from a certain locale, then they are what they are. If you have animals w/o locality data but "look" like typical coastal rosies, then call them coastal rosies locality unknown, or "San Diego county somewhere coastal rosies." The best approach is to say what you know about the snakes and leave out the locality info you do not know for sure.

Yes, rosyboa localities have been mixed to produce snows. They are usually marketed as such (e.g. non-locality snow rosies). Often Whitewater albinos were mixed with Borrego anerythristic. You can choose to mix localities or choose not too. I always appreciate locality-specific rosyboas because of the uniqueness of each locality. However, I do not shun mixed localities either as long as folks are honest about what they are presenting. To me, for captivity, it is all good.

After you see enough rosies, you get a feel for the differences. Rosies from the desert side of mtns close to the desert floor tend to be lighter in color and smaller, while rosies from less arid "coastal" regions (based on rainfall and vegetation type) tend to be larger and darker.
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Mark

You'd probably enjoy the rosy boa images project I've been working on. It has over 450 images of locality rosys from all across their range.
It's very interesting to see the wide variety.
Josh Dustin
elozia.com/localityrosys/

As far as I know you are correct about the Borrego aneries. It is my understanding that all that are out there now, with the exception of the original wild caught, are from the line of the original cross with a ww albino.
I have always been a little unclear on the borrego hypos myself. From what I have always understood, the borrego hypos are not a true genetic hypo but are of a line of selectively bred borregos to reduce the amount of dark pigment.
Milo

for all your input. I'd love to have a pure anery borrego but unless i win the lottery and go herping for days on end i don't think i have a chance.
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0.4 E. prasina
5.5 L. m. thayeri
1.1 H. nasicus
1.1 A. stimsoni
1.1 L. t. gaigeae
1.1 C. t. roseofusca

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.- Albert Einstein