According to the books yes. However it isn't an exact science. I've seen lovely BCC with more/less and the same with BCI.

A much better way to tell is visually. Does the snake have the characteristics of that sub species? And also by scale count (ventral, mid scale etc)

 

Judging by this, and your last thread, you're still a bit confused between BCC and BCI mate. What is it that's confusing you? They are very, very different looking snakes, so there must be something puzzling you! Anything we can do to help?

 

not really:mf_dribble::lol2: how do you do a scale count? but they all do look very similar

 

but they all do look very similar

You must be looking at the wrong snakes then!!

http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/FL936/FL936.15327392-1-x.jpg

This is a common boa. The first thing that comes into my head when I look at common boas (BCI) is "Brown"

http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/data/3245pokigron05_fa027_10cpweb.jpg

That's a BCC. Straight away I see "RED" and "batman saddles"

I have no idea how you're getting confused!!:lol2:

 

these are redheads
they wear saddles when there naughty!

hope this helps

 

these are redheads
they wear saddles when there naughty!

hope this helps

image

i wunt say no to them two :mf_dribble:

 

I'm going to jump into this thread and say I don't know how to tell the difference. What are the signs?
My boa was bought as a BCC x BCI, is very pretty, but I don't know which she looks more like tbh.

 

here some info i found


There are many subspecies with several locals that produce various size, color and pattern variations that for most it is impossible to tell the difference.This is complicated by things like B. C. Constrictor and B. C. Imperator both occur in Colombia , other subspecies overlapping in geographic areas, and cross breeding in captivity and possible natural intergrades.
Generally BCC have peaks in the saddles and brighter red/ maroon tail color, BCI usually have orangish to brick red tail color. Bcc are usually larger than the other subspecies though columbian BCIs also large reaching 10ft. But, saddle shapes and tail color is not a definitive way to tell, scale counts are if its not a subspecies mix. Over lap in the counts also make it more confusing: there are a few examples.

BCC
scale counts - 75 to 95 dorsal rows.
227 to 250 ventrals.
49 to 62 subcaudals.


BCI
scale counts - 56 to 79 dorsal rows.
225 to 253 ventrals.
47 to 65 subcaudals.


BCA ( Amarali Boa)
scale counts - 71 to 79 dorsal rows.
226 to 237 ventrals.
43 to 52 subcaudals.


BCL (Longicauada)
scale counts - 60 to 76 dorsal rows.
243 to 247 ventrals.
50 to 67 subcaudals.


BCO (Occidentalis)
scale counts - 65 to 87 dorsal rows.
242 to 251 ventrals.
45 subcaudals.

 

This is a BCI

This is a BCC

Get a good book about the differences of the sub species such as True Boa Constrictor by Stockel.

The visual differences are easy to spot

 

That's already too much information to remember. It's pointless.

A BCC has a RED tail. Hence "True RED tail boa"

You will never, ever see a BCI with a tail as red as a BCC's tail. It just doesn't happen. The reason people pay so much more for a BCC is because they look SO much better. Simples.

 

Post it anyway. A BCI in shed still won't look anything like a BCC =P

 

Post it anyway. A BCI in shed still won't look anything like a BCC =P

I will let him settle in for a few days, then will post a picture, i did not get him thinking he was a bcc, but would be nice to know

 

Even 'common' BCI can vary hugely in appearance. Take these two photos. All BCI though

 

Even 'common' BCI can vary hugely in appearance. Take these two photos. All BCI though
imageimage

he looks alot different to the other commons, how do you know he is a bci by a saddle,scale count?

 

but was told he was a columbian

 

If you paid less than £200 for him, he's not a BCC. If his saddles don't have widows peaks, he's not a BCC. If he doesn't have a RED tail, he's not a.... yeah.

Looking forward to seeing it - I love boas in general, but the price alone should tell you, especially alongside the other visual clues.

 

If you paid less than £200 for him, he's not a BCC. If his saddles don't have widows peaks, he's not a BCC. If he doesn't have a RED tail, he's not a.... yeah.

Looking forward to seeing it - I love boas in general, but the price alone should tell you, especially alongside the other visual clues.

Did not buy him a swapped another snake for him:2thumb:

 

"The Boas that we see imported by the thousands from Colombia are not True Red Tailed Boas as they are Boa c. imperator which are found West of the Andes Mountains. "These Colombian boas are considered to be non red tailed (although they do possess a red tail). They are instead referred to as "Common Boas " or Colombian Boas.
"True 'Red Tailed' Boas are the nominant race, Boa c. constrictor. The True Red Tailed Boas are the boas found East of the Andes Mountains in South America (Surinam, Guyana, Brazil, Peru, etc. ). They get much larger than Colombian Boas and have very deep red tails." ...Vin Russo

 

"The Boas that we see imported by the thousands from Colombia are not True Red Tailed Boas as they are Boa c. imperator which are found West of the Andes Mountains. "These Colombian boas are considered to be non red tailed (although they do possess a red tail). They are instead referred to as "Common Boas " or Colombian Boas.
"True 'Red Tailed' Boas are the nominant race, Boa c. constrictor. The True Red Tailed Boas are the boas found East of the Andes Mountains in South America (Surinam, Guyana, Brazil, Peru, etc. ). They get much larger than Colombian Boas and have very deep red tails." ...Vin Russo

I was told you can get a columbian bci and a columbian bcc

 

Sort of missing the point, there. Fine - if your snake wasn't worth £200 when you swapped him, it's not a BCC. There are of course the tiny chances that the person who had it didn't know what it was, but BCCs aren't very common - you'd never usually buy one without knowing what it was. Commons get traded all the time, and sometimes Chinese Whispers turns them from a Common into a "Columbian red tail" or "Red-tail boa" but it only takes a nano-second to look at it and go "Common" or "BCC"

 

This is where he puts up a picture of a Pokigron Suriname haha.

 

he is hiding:lol2: but will get a picture soon, but i think he is just a bci after all these post's, but he has less than 22 saddles and his tail has some red in it, but his saddles are not like the bcc in your pictures, but he is a lovely snake, nicer than the carpet python i swapped:2thumb::2thumb:

 

Is it anything like this.

 

Is it anything like this.
imageimage

He is is lighter in colour, not sure on the saddles, he has i hint of pink but probably beacause he is in shed, that is a bci is it not?

 

show me the widows peaks on our
peruvian BCCs

 

show me the widows peaks on our
peruvian BCCs

image

image

here is another bcc as the owner tells me, where are his peaks??????????:lol2:

 

That's not a Bcc...

 

This is an image I mocked up to show what 'widows peaks' are, both are Bcc!

Cheers

Andy

 

lol, lots of people posted the same whilst I was finding the image in my photobucket!

 

I think it's important to stay on track here - the OP got this snake as a trade for a Carpet python. I doubt he picked up a Peruvian Bcc without knowing!

 

Agreed. The swap is 99.9999% gonna be a Bci, but if you're playing the expert, you have to get your facts 100%!:Na_Na_Na_Na:


For general interest on the topic here is an awesome picture of different Bcc locales that illustrates the great diversity within the subspecies let alone the diversity of the species (lots of room for some decent taxonomic rejigging in this species!)

 

I love the website they came from - perfect examples apart from that Pokigron one. Too orange!