Some specimens have two small lines over each eye. There is a thin dark line on the top of the head from the internasals to the nape of the neck. There may be dark shading or barring on some of pale lip scales. The head is predominantly pale with well-defined dark markings. Continuing forward from the area of the vent, each successive pale interspace becomes wider as each red band becomes more narrow and less red in this manner the red pattern of the posterior body and tail melds into the dorsal pattern seen on most of the body. This pattern continues onto the posterior body where the red pattern becomes more like bands. The tails are pale with large, oval, black-edged red blotches. The ventral surface of the neck and anterior body is ivory or pale gray, on the posterior half of the body the stomach becomes increasingly peppered with black smudges, flecks, and spots. Generally, the patterns of boa constrictors from Colombia tend to include more bold black scales and even small black blotches on the sides than do the Central American specimens. The pale areas of pattern are relatively evenly sprinkled with small black flecks and entire black scales. Some blotches may contact the dark dorsal pattern. On the sides are a series of dark blotches with pale centers. In other patterns, the dark dorsal bars are not connected to other dark elements of pattern. In some boa constrictor patterns, the dark bars are connected along the sides to form a dark dorsal pattern on the back that outlines pale dorsal blotches that are oval or round. These dark bars are each narrowest in the middle of the back and widest at the dorsolateral margin, where they incorporate a pale blotch on each side at the dorsolateral margin. The typical common boa constrictor is a pale snake with a longitudinal series of 20 or more dark transverse bars spaced down the length of the back. Captive-bred animals are often encountered at weekend reptile shows. The species is offered for sale on many price lists, web sites, and classified advertising. Excellent captive-bred specimens are available from professional breeders and serious hobbyists. Probably between one and two thousand common boas are now captive-bred and born in the U.S. captive-bred animals are readily available. Imported boas are commonly encountered in the pet trade, and occasionally seen at weekend reptile shows.īoa constrictors have their own following of dedicated keepers and breeders who work with nothing else. Wild-bred-captive-born babies also are exported to the U.S., some from Central America and many thousands from northern Colombia. from several Central American countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. Wild-caught animals are still collected and exported to the U.S. There at the southern extreme of the range, it intergrades with the Tumbes boa, Boa constrictor longicauda and Peruvian coastal boa, Boa constrictor ortonii. From eastern Panama the range extends north into Colombia to the Sierra de Santa Marta, and south through coastal Colombia into Ecuador, south as far as Guayaquil. It is widespread and common in every country in Central America. The species is widespread through the lower elevations of tropical southern Mexico. This widespread boa constrictor subspecies occurs on the west coast of Mexico as far north as Hermosillo, Sonora, and on the east coast north to southern Tamaulipas. The maximum size of this form purportedly approaches 12 feet in total length, but the biggest we have seen were 9-10 feet long. collections average about 4½-8 feet in total length. Large specimens attain considerable bulk and may weigh 40-50 pounds. The head is very distinct from the neck the body is laterally compressed the tail is long and strongly prehensile. This is a relatively slender elongate snake. The common boa has an extensive distribution in nature and many geographic names have come to be used to refer to this subspecies, including Mexican boa, Sonoran desert boa, Yucatan boa, Central American boa, El Salvador boa, Nicaraguan boa, Panamanian boa, Honduran boa, Hog Island boa, Corn Island boa, and Colombian boa. In fact many common boa constrictors do have a red tail, distinctly different in color than the rest of the body however, the common name of “red-tailed boa” is also commonly applied to the South American boa constrictor, Boa constrictor constrictor, which typically has an even redder tail. There are in use a variety of different names all referring to this subspecies, including simply “boa constrictor.” This form of boa may be referred to as the pet store boa constrictor, redtail boa, Colombian redtail boa, pet store redtail, and red-tailed boa constrictor. This is the boa subspecies most often encountered in captivity.
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