This gave them a reputation for being an aggressive snake. When they first became popular, the majority of captive red-tailed boas were wild-caught.In the wild, they’re a nocturnal snake that likes to climb in trees, hence why so many wild specimens live in the rainforest. They can live for between 20 and 30 years if they’re well-cared for. Their name is derived from their bright red tails, which they keep into adulthood. They range from brown to cream or gray, and have reddish-brown markings known as saddles in a pattern along their back. Females are larger than males, both in terms of length and weight. Regarding boa constrictor characteristics, they grow to between five and nine feet on average, but can reach thirteen feet if they’re well fed. Among snake owners, it’s known as the BCC which is an abbreviation of their scientific name. This boa is native to almost all of South America, as well as some Caribbean islands.

If somebody says they own a boa constrictor, this is probably the snake they mean. Red-Tailed Boa (Boa Constrictor Constrictor) Given that they live so close to one another, with their ranges overlapping, there’s significant interbreeding that occurs in the wild. They all differ slightly regarding size, color, and pattern. In the species Boa constrictor, there are at least eight subspecies that hail from different parts of South and Central America. These two species are the only ones in the Boa genus. The other species is ‘Boa imperator,’ which is mostly similar to the regular boa constrictor but from a different geographical range. One species is ‘Boa constrictor,’ which contains most of the subspecies. When you’re talking about ‘boa constrictors,’ you’re referring to two different species in the genus Boa.

1.10.1 Facts About Orton’s Boa List of Boa Constrictor Species

Boa constrictor size and length