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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 16:09:03 GMT -5
In another thread I tried to entice jamesp to Cali by promising a nature tour of the Giant & Coastal Sequoias groves of California. He expressed his dismay that we actually have Boas here in the USA! I thought rather than hijack Bill's awesome lumberjack thread, I'd start a new one. Threads are cheap; right?  Maybe rockpickerforever and Sabre52 will also provide interesting tidbits of knowledge, please and thank you. In the USA we have two species of boa constrictor. The one I mentioned already is the "Rubber Boa". These are in the genus Charina and in that genus we have two perhaps three species. The southernmost of the rubber boas is the appropriately named Southern Rubber Boa (Charina umbratica) and the Northern Rubber Boa (Charina bottae). The southern Rubbers are found in just a few montane locations. The Northern is really widespread. I hunted with a biologist in Corvallis Oregon. We found well over 1000 snakes including over 30rubber boas in three hours one warmish, cloudy June afternoon. Adult   Yearling  Mel's Santa Cruz Mtn habitat  Southern Rubber habitat - Big Bear California  Our next hero in the story of USA boas is the jewel in the crown of north American snakes. The Rosy Boas (Lichanura ssp) (sorry Mel I think the taxonomy of Lichanura is in limbo at the moment). I believe there are at least 6 species and there may be more. Everywhere rosies are found the habitat is rocky. "Coastal" rosies of coastal southern California are the largest form. The largest I have seen was a HUUUUGE female that measured 46" and she was missing all of her tail but one scute south of her cloaca, Had she had her entire tail I would have had the holy grail - 4 foot rosy. My local San gabrielMtns have a unique form in that they are largely orange in color with a different colored orangey/grey stripe. Rosy boas are found from the southern tip of Baja California Del Sur north to death valley and from the pacific ocean east to almost Phoenix. In the deserts of western AZ and Eastern SoCal every suingle mountain rnage has a different color and look to the stripes. I cant put them all. I'll put the three or four main color varieties in the images below. "Desert Boa" from Kern County, CA  "Desert Boa" from Maricopa County, AZ - note the wildly different look. If we hit every desert mtn range between Kern and Maricopa counties we would see a different snake in each. Species? No doubt some are.  "Coastal Boa" San Diego County  "Unicolor" Boa Otay Lake California (these go south to Ensanada)  And Lastly, the "Mexican Rosy Boa", Maricopa County   "Coastal Boa habitat near my home in Riverside County, CA  Enjoy! Queries and comments recommended! Special Thanks to California Herps and Herps of AZ for being the awesome resources they are. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 16:12:00 GMT -5
One more boa a subspecies of the south American Red Tailed boa is the Sonoran Boa (Boa constrictor imperator) is found within 100 miles of the Mexico/Arizona border.  |
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 7, 2014 16:57:35 GMT -5
Wow! I've never even seen that Sonoran Boa before. Seen a lot of Rosey's but like you've said, ones from different areas seldom look alike. Went a long time without finding a Rubber Boa, though I had seen a lot of tracks on dirt trails in the Pacific Northwest. Then, one day I was trout fishing while my little sis was wading in a stream up near Patrick's Point, I went to get her her rubber flip flops and there was a rubber boa wrapped around them like he was in love. Found several more that same trip in weather I would have thought was much too cold and foggy for them to be out and about. Very strange and cool little snakes....Mel
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 17:34:34 GMT -5
Like other snakes; Rosy's bred in captivity have different colors. Here is a group comprised of a normal color, one lacking red/orange color, one lacking grey/black color and the white one has all the genes lined up to lack all color.  |
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Post by radio on Jan 7, 2014 18:17:41 GMT -5
You surely must be heavy into Herpetology?!?!?! The Wife and I spent 20 years in the Central Vally of Ca and for about 10 of those actively raised and bred reptiles. I think I have been bitten by about half of the worlds non venomous snakes and lizzards  Most bites were amusing, but a few hurt like...well.......  Those 10 foot and over Boas and Pythons pack a pretty good wallop and don't like to let go! We rescued several snakes that outgrew the owners capabilities and managed to find them good homes. When the feed bills started climbing, we started raising our own meal worms, crickets, madagascar hissing cockroaches, mice and rats. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 7, 2014 19:22:10 GMT -5
Hey, radio, I used to raise and sell snakes as well. Small world. (In fact, I know Scott @shotgunner from that previous life.) Mostly colubrids (milksnakes, kingsnakes), nothing hot. We did at one time have a trio of red-tail boas, fed them rabbits. Man, talk about a mess to clean up afterwards! Got out of reptiles about 5 or 6 years ago, do not miss them - or raising the rats and mice - one bit.
Raised up some Bismarck ringed pythons from hatchings I bought, ended up getting out of it before they produced for me. Also had 1.2 green tree pythons, they also went without ever producing offspring. 
I was bit by quite a few different snakes. The nastiest temperament award goes to a 5 foot plus female black rat snake. She was hell on wheels, don't miss her at all.
While we had snakes, we had a few rosy boas at different times. Also raised up a captive born neonate southern rosy boa, he was pretty cool. |
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Post by radio on Jan 7, 2014 20:24:46 GMT -5
Hey, radio, I used to raise and sell snakes as well. Small world. (In fact, I know Scott @shotgunner from that previous life.) Mostly colubrids (milksnakes, kingsnakes), nothing hot. We did at one time have a trio of red-tail boas, fed them rabbits. Man, talk about a mess to clean up afterwards! Got out of reptiles about 5 or 6 years ago, do not miss them - or raising the rats and mice - one bit.
Raised up some Bismarck ringed pythons from hatchings I bought, ended up getting out of it before they produced for me. Also had 1.2 green tree pythons, they also went without ever producing offspring.
I was bit by quite a few different snakes. The nastiest temperament award goes to a 5 foot plus female black rat snake. She was hell on wheels, don't miss her at all.
While we had snakes, we had a few rosy boas at different times. Also raised up a captive born neonate southern rosy boa, he was pretty cool. Yep, small world. I was on Kingsnake.com a lot back in the late 90's and early 2000's as Gexlover. also did most of the west Coast Reptile shows selling as Walkabout Reptiles as we specialized in a lot of Australian species. The worst attitude I came across was a big and gorgeous Brazilian Rainbow Boa. I always wanted to get some GTP's and Emerald Boas, but never did before my health went south and had to sell the collection. The ones I miss most are the Acanthurus Monitors. Coolest things I ever worked with! Even if one of the females did an impromptu ear piercing on me |
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Post by radio on Jan 7, 2014 20:33:00 GMT -5
Shotgunner: I tried to use the "quote" feature, but must have fat fingered something 'cause it didn't work Did you sell at, or attend any of the big reptile shows in L.A and San Diego before opening your shop? If you did, I bet we have at least met casually or even bought/sold/traded herps to each other  Perhaps I should clarify to all the non reptile folks that Herps has nothing to do with HerpES!  Herps is short for Herpetology, or having to do with Reptiles |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 20:39:38 GMT -5
You surely must be heavy into Herpetology?!?!?! The Wife and I spent 20 years in the Central Valley of Ca and for about 10 of those actively raised and bred reptiles. I kept and bred and studied and hunted and... and... and... for over 30 years of my life. In 1992 I was amongst the first to produce bearded dragons in the USA. I took that into a small side biz while working for a textiles distributor. In 1994-5 I made more at home than working for him, so I quit! If you ask Jeff (the owner of kingsnake.com) he'll tell you I was first to use images to sell animal online. In 1996 there were no other animal sales sites anywhere. He was first! I had to take film pics of the animals, have them developed one hour photo, scan them, edit the scans, upload via ftp to my webspace and then I could hand code the html for the classifieds ads! Putting photos in ads was NOT automatic like they are today. Nothing was! I do remember walkabout reptiles from a few shows. One you were across the aisle from me, perhaps in Pomona? or Santa Monica? At that time (1994-5??) I was Reptilia Technologies. I started that website in 1997 from knowledge gained posting ads on kingsnake.com. It too started as hand coded html. In 1999 I opened Amazon Reptile Center. We went from two owners to two owners and 12 employees in 6 years. Fourteen people loving their work. The new economy took it's tole. People dumping their pets because they could not feed them. The sunset of my herp career was in 2010 when my old partner wrote me a single check for my half of the business. Now I just have a few leopard tortoises, some very good friends and a ton of very good memories! Say hi to swifty and her loverboy.  His name is Loverboy. I do these herp related threads from time to time. It makes me happy. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2014 20:40:45 GMT -5
Shotgunner: I tried to use the "quote" feature, but must have fat fingered something 'cause it didn't work Did you sell at, or attend any of the big reptile shows in L.A and San Diego before opening your shop? If you did, I bet we have at least met casually or even bought/sold/traded herps to each other Perhaps I should clarify to all the non reptile folks that Herps has nothing to do with HerpES! Herps is short for Herpetology, or having to do with Reptiles IRBA, Rainforest Reptile Shows, West Coast - yes I did them. |
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Post by radio on Jan 7, 2014 21:45:06 GMT -5
Shotgunner: I tried to use the "quote" feature, but must have fat fingered something 'cause it didn't work Did you sell at, or attend any of the big reptile shows in L.A and San Diego before opening your shop? If you did, I bet we have at least met casually or even bought/sold/traded herps to each other Perhaps I should clarify to all the non reptile folks that Herps has nothing to do with HerpES! Herps is short for Herpetology, or having to do with Reptiles IRBA, Rainforest Reptile Shows, West Coast - yes I did them. We did the IRBA shows in the LA area and Dago about that time. My back started going to heck in a handbasket and had to give up the shows, then later on sold everything except 3 Jungle Carpet Pythons. He kept the name for a short while then changed it to something else then faded away. I don't remember Reptilia Technologies, but about that time I was having to take so many meds it's a wonder I still have a brain and lots of things got lost from the 'ol grey matter due to pain and strong meds. Finally had surgery and kicked the meds, so in much better shape these days I still love Herps, but no way I would have them again. We have one spoiled Rose Breasted Cockatoo and 5 Pugs and that is enough, thank you very much I certainly enjoyed the pics of the Rubber and Rosy Boas as well as your Torts |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 8, 2014 13:24:29 GMT -5
Okay, here's the only pic I have of the rubber boa I used to have.
Did some snake trading with a guy in Arizona for this dude when he was just a baby. |
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Maybe rockpickerforever and Sabre52 will also provide interesting tidbits of knowledge, please and thank you.
Most bites were amusing, but a few hurt like...well....... 
Herps is short for Herpetology, or having to do with Reptiles 
... to the New Guy from The ChatBox V.2 Crew