Boa constrictor imperator vs. Red tailed boa constrictor

Boa constrictor imperator vs. Red tailed boa constrictor

-Boa constrictors are common in the tropical regions of central and south America.

-You may have come across the terms common boa, Colombian boa, red tailed boa, BCI and BCC (what do these mean?)

-What is the difference between the Boa constrictor imperator and the red-tailed boa constrictors?

-True red tailed boas are larger, lighter, in color and have more vivid red tails than the boa constrictor imperators.

-What are Boa constrictors?

-They are large, non-venomous snakes native to the Americas. They kill their prey by constricting animals until they die from restricted blood flow.

-The geographical range of the boa extends from the southern parts of Mexico, in north America, down to Argentina in south America.

-They can be recognized by:

-Their size: They are large and often grow to 10 feet or even larger. Captive bred snakes may grow even larger than wild ones. Females tend to be bigger than males.

-Their habitat: They live in exclusively tropical areas where the temperatures are high. They can reside in rain forests, woodlands, and even semi-arid areas.

-Their markings: Wild type or “normal” boa constrictors are cream to light brown in color, with a number of reddish-brown saddles along their bodies. These saddles become larger and rounder on the tail, giving them the appearance of having a red tail.

-What type of boa constrictors are there?

            -There are about 10 different sub-species of boa constrictors.

“BCC” Boa Constrictor Constrictor aka The “true” Red-Tailed Boa

-The “original” Boa constrictor, is the nominate species boa constrictor constrictor

-They are found commonly across the northern parts of south America, including Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Peru.

-Though they are the archetypal boa constrictor, they are less wide spread than the BCI, and far less common as pets.

-BCC’s are often nick named “True red-tailed boas” due to the very vivid red markings on their tails.

-The true is added in to distinguish them from common boas (BCI) who is often erroneously advertised as “red-tailed boas” though they are separate species.

-Boa constrictors are some what elusive and sought after and usually go for at least 200-300 dollars a piece.

-BCC’s have a much lighter background color, they are very pale-gray, off white or cream in color.

-BCC’s are significantly bigger and reach 9-10 feet and have been known to reach 13-14 feet.

-BCC’s and BCI’s have a similar reddish-brown saddle-shaped markings along their backs. The BCC’s saddles have a distinct widow’s peak (they look like a sideways batman symbol.)

-BCC’s red tails are much more bright and vivid red rather than the BCI’s darker reddish-brown (mahogany color).

-BCC’s have pointier and longer snouts and BCC’s necks are skinnier making their heads look larger.