American Python ID

[hunterschamps]

Hi all,

Had a mate from america who i used to keep regular contact with send me a few photos of his python going back a few years ago. Im curious as to what it actually is, is it a burmese python? Ive seen they are becoming more and more common in the US nowdays.

Cheers, Paul.

P.s. don't mind the bad photo, its actually a photo of a photo.

 

[hunterschamps]

This may be a better photo, but again its a photo of a photo.
.

 

[saximus]

It's a Boa I'm pretty sure. The arrow shaped head is the biggest giveaway

 

[GeckoJosh]

It looks like a Red-tailed Boa to me but I am far from an expert when it comes to these guys

 

[hunterschamps]

In other photos it has a dark bottom half, but Google does provide with some very close images in comparison to this one!

 

[Grogshla]

I agree the head shape and body pattern looks like boa

 

[saximus]

The dark bottom half is a pretty good indication it's a Red-Tail. I don't think they're all bright red. My favourite exotic!

 

[dabigjhemzehh]

If not a Red Tail, perhaps a Common Boa?

 

[hunterschamps]

We have a few Americans on here, was hoping someone well knowledged from in the US may be able to answer!

 

[hugsta]

It's red-tailed boa.

 

[Stuart]

http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/...tile-identification-forum-please-read-193502/

Please note.

 

[hugsta]

Oh dear, here is a pic of a red tailed boa so you can see they are the same.

 

[buffcoat]

Plain old boa. Looks almost just like mine.



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Days1]

Definitely a boa although probably not what would be considered a TRUE red tail but a BCI. The tail color is not a true red. There is a site called [removed] that has many pics of different varieties of boas.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Common Boa. 99.9%

 

[hunterschamps]

Thanks guys, had my curiosity running for a while now, thought I should ask.

 

[buffcoat]

After looking at it a little closer, it looks like a BCI, Boa Constrictor Imperator. The common BCC, or Boa Constrictor Constrictor is what most call the Red Tailed Boa.

BCI are locality specific. That boa in the first picture looks like a Hog Island Boa

Most BCI are lighter in color.

Crossing a BCI with a BCC is very common.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Bluetongue1]

Boa constrictor - identifiable by shape and pattern as indicated. One of the very few animals where the common name and the scientific name are identical.

Boa constrictor constrictor has the tail sections coloured red, as shown in post 13, and this subspecies is commonly referred to as a Red-tailed Boa. There are another dozen subspecies but only a couple are particularly common in captivity.


Saximus,
Head shape is a good rule of thumb but not infallible. Indian pythons, retics and several others can have similarly sharply delineated arrow-like heads. The taxonomic differences are to do with skull structure and reproduction. for ID we are limited to using external features. So using head shape in conjunction with at least another feature is the way to go. I suspect you had that in mind but just wanted to make it explicit to those just starting out. cheers.

Blue

 

[Shotta]

from the patterning i reckon its a dumerils boa constrictor

 

[Days1]

from the patterning i reckon its a dumerils boa constrictor

I disagree...it is more likely a Central American or Colombian Boa but its possible to have variety even in these animals. The best bet it to research it if you really want to know.