Skyfire_1:

You asked, "---- I was wondering if the Male Sand Boa was the smallest Boa snake when full grown." By 'full grown', are you referring to when a species first reaches adult status, the average length of males of a species, or the maximum length of adult males?



I know nothing about the relative size (lengths) of various species of sand boas. So what I mention below can be judged by those that have experience with other species of boas.



A dwarf form of the Rubber Boa occurs in various mountain ranges and mt. peaks throughout much of S. Calif. from the San Jacinto Mts. of Riverside County north to the southern Sierra Nevada Mts. (Kern Plateau) of southern Tulare County. In my efforts to characterize this dwarf form, I have endeavored to determine at what total length males and females of this dwarf morph reach maturity so such information can be compared to similar information gathered on a population of the large morph of the species here in Oregon.



I deem males to be mature when they exhibit courtship behavior when placed with females in reproductive condition. On 5/30/03, a 13 7/8 inches (352 mm) male from the Southern Kern Plateau courted a number of females and later was found coupled to one female. On 5/14/05, a male 13 3/8 inches (340 mm) from the same region was observed exhibiting courtship behavior during a 2 hour period after being placed with 4 females in reproductive condition.



Richard F. Hoyer (Corvallis, Oregon)

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