#bci boa constrictor

[tallgh0st]

[lingrimmart]

[medevacreptiles]

Tarkin for a while has had a mass on his nose that the vet and I had been hoping would just handle itself but alas it did not.

Last month he got to have some surgery and some tests and got the granuloma removed. Stitches were taken out yesterday, but due to his very icky albeit hilarious cherry flavored antibiotics he's now on i didn't hold him down for any pictures.

We've got him on a daily soak and every other day antibiotic rotation for the next month to make sure the infection clears itself up, but overall he's looking great!

Removed stitches look great and his nose looks so much better.

[fanotastic]

I'm still mourning but that doesn't mean I can neglect the rest of the reptiles. Crux was due for an upgrade and waiting for my roommate to move his fish tank wasn't happening any time soon.

She desperately needed the space to stretch out and climb. I believe this was the best upgrade I could provide her at this time.

[marblemartian]

mike helped me clean her room

[spent-brass]

[organicmatter]

the bubbies. say hello to them

[snake-spotted]

If you want a boa constrictor you could look into bci boas, they're big enough to be impressive while still remaining manageable for a single person

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bACJQZG4b40&t=952s&pp=ygUMYmNpIGJvYSBjYXJl

I appreciate the tip ty!!! my ideal wiggle is a corn snake I think they're so adorable and silly little guys :3

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

I brought my 3~ yr old bci to a vet who did mammals and reptiles once. She said he was too small and that I should be feeding him once a week 'and you'd be surprised how fast he'll grow' it made me so mad

She also tried to get me to take live mice home [he was on f/t rats] and tried to say live feeders were just as good as f/t. And she let the vet office cat into the room while she was examining my snake, including letting it jump up on the counter. Idk why I'm telling you all this other than man it makes me mad that there are people spreading that type of misinfo lmao

I texted this to my reptile vet and he just sent me back a series of crying emojis.

In case you don't know why this advice was sketchy -

Powerfeeding is never the way to go, and there's no world in which a 3 year old boa constrictor should be eating once a week! Growing fast should never be the goal, growing steadily and healthily is!

Live feeders are not just as good as frozen/thawed. F/t food is safer for the snake and more humane for the rodent, and no one should ever feel pressured into feeding live!

Cats and reptiles are a big no-no. I don't think a cat should ever be in the same room as a snake that's not in an enclosure, let alone so close to it. Cat saliva is actually toxic for reptiles, and that's not even considering how quickly a situation like this could turn deadly. A cat won't know not to play with a snake, and cat claws and bites could injure a reptile, even a bigger one like a boa constrictor, very badly.

[joewein]

I Bought A Snake

(Picture of Sisu’s litter. Unlike Ball Python’s, Boas are live born. Sisu is in there somewhere.)

As a kid in the 70s, I frequented pet stores and was enamored with the little snakes in there. There would be some Corn Snakes, usually Ball Pythons, and Boas.  The Ball Pythons and Boas looked similar as babies, but the pet shop shop people would guide me toward the Ball Pythons - the Boas got huge and were temperamental they'd say. Also, all the snakes ate mice, conveniently hoarded in a separate terrarium piled on top of each other for about a quarter each. This was a bummer. I liked the mice too (I will get into feeding another time). I thought the coolest snake was the Boa, with it's sleek head and more curious personality, but even if my parents allowed, I wouldn't want a huge, angry snake as a pet.

What I didn't realize is those Boas in the pet stores in the 70s were some of the very first Boas being sold as pet snakes. And the people selling them knew almost nothing about them. As they were bringing in exotic fish from South America, they'd catch and throw in some Boas for a little extra cash. There was not yet any regard for the type of Boa being sold. Weird to think snakes have been around 130 million years - with the dinosaurs, survived the ice age, adapted and evolved all over the planet - and these Boas end up in little shops at the same time I am walking in.

Vin Russo, author of The More Complete Boa Constrictor, worked in one of these pet stores. He was one of the early ones to recognize that these snakes coming in labeled as Boas actually varied in size, pattern, temperament and care. He was a pioneer of categorizing and captive breeding snakes.

Vin was on the East Coast, I grew up in the West. In Palm Springs, where the days were scorching but desert nights were cool. I'd frequently see snakes with the Kangaroo Rats and lizards as I'd walk around in the evening. I believe this is where my interest in these animals began, and I'm sure there's a certain nostalgia now.

Over the years since then, the classification of Boa Constrictors has been adjusted many times. The most common being the Boa Constrictor Imperator (recently changed to just Boa Imperator). But there are many types with distinct variances.

There are essentially three groups of Boa Constrictors:

The common pet store boa today, which is a mixed-bred BCI. These tend to make good pets as they are docile and attractive, but do vary in size and pattern and you don't really know what you're going to end up with. They also tend to get large.

Morph Boas, these are also mostly BCI, but are bred specifically for the pattern/look of the snake, which get pretty spectacular. There is a wide variety, with new patterns going for a high price. While you generally do know who the parents are (since they are specifically bred by breeders to achieve these patterns) I have observed you will get quite a range in terms of size and temperament, which is not what they are breeding for.

Locality Boas. These are captive-bred snakes that maintain a bloodline to the original locality they came from. It's sort of like purebred vs. mixed bred dogs. And like dogs, neither is better or worse as a pet and every individual has its own personality. But I would say with a purebred or locality boa, you have more information about the animal you are getting. Unlike purebred dogs, which were bred for specific traits, Locality Boas just don't introduce anything new - so it is a continuation of a bloodline of snake as it evolved in a given location. These are the Locality Boas:

Boa Constrictor Species Classification

Boa Constrictor Imperator or Boa Imperator (BCI) There are about 10 sub-species of these. Including Dwarf Boas from Belize, the popular Hog Island Boa from Honduras, and the pure Columbian boa from Barranquilla.

Boa Constrictor Sigma (BCS) These are Boas from Mexico, including the increasingly popular Tarahumara Mountain Boa, which are prized for their small size and dark exotic pattern. Although these are known to be "nippy" as babies.

Boa Constrictor Constrictor (BCC) These tend to be some of the more striking looking snakes, but also more irritable. And they can also get to be 12 feet. They include the Surinam, Brazilian, Peruvian, and others east of the Andes.

Boa Constrictor Longicauda (BCL) An interesting Peruvian Boa that turns blacker as it ages.

Boa Constrictor Occidentalis (BCO) The Argentine Boa is one of the largest and a very beatutiful boa.

Boa Constrictor Nebulosa (BCN) The Clouded boa, which I don't know much about.

Boa Constrictor Sabogae (BCS) The popular Pearl Island boa.

Boa Constrictor Amarali (BCA) A very interesting, thicker bodied Boa that I was leaning toward buying, but did not end up getting.

In all cases there is sexual dimorphism, the female is notably larger than the male. That is why I intended to get a male snake. But that is not what I ended up with.

I ultimately purchased a beautiful female Locality Boa directly from Vin and had her shipped to me.

Sisu is a Boa Imperator from Barranquilla, Columbia. This just means they can trace back her lineage from Vin Russo to Gus Rentfro's company Rio Bravo before him. Rentfro originally caught and and began a captive-bred colony of Barranquilla Boas in the 70s and 80s.

Barranquilla are known for being docile, inquisitive, and not growing as large as many of the others (although they are not dwarf boas).

It is also believed Barranquilla Boas have ancestry of BCC, as Boa Constrictor Constrictor are indigenous to Columbia just on the other side of the Andes. As a a result, they have what I consider a very striking, wild look to them.

I have spent less than a month with Sisu. I started this blog to document my education and fascination with my new companion. I am glad they grow slowly.

[lingrimmart]

We have a small collection of snakes. Just look at these cute little guys.

[medevacreptiles]

Sundance - 2021 0.1 Hypo(OT) Aby pos het Super Stripe

This girl has been home now with me for a week and I just can't get over her. Produced by @/crispysnakes

[scarletandgreyexotics]

One shed and two meals in for these little kiddos. Perhaps not the most fancy genetics out there, but I think they are cute!

Common boas / Boa imperator

[herps-and-noods]

My friend always complains that she can’t get any good pictures of her snake. Runa delivered for me. ❤️

[scalygems]

Peaches the Boa 🍑🌿

A commission for Michaela! I drew the same snake one year ago, and was blessed with the opportunity to redraw her. I’m so grateful that I was able to capture Peaches’ beautiful color more accurately this time around, the difference in my art style from just a year ago is mind-blowing. Thank you so much, Michaela. You’re the best!

Prints of this beautiful girl will be available next month in my Etsy!

Instagram / Etsy / Redbubble / Facebook / dA

[shootyourtv]

Someone local couldn’t take care of this poor baby, so me and my roommates took him in. His name is Salazar Spider-Man Squiggles