Argentine Boa ConstrictorsĪrgentine's have between 242 and 251 ventral scales, 29-30 interconnected dorsal blotches, and black and white peppering. There are very few of this type of boa in existence. Both the posterior body and tail blotches are black, thus the name. It has dark, interconnected saddling on a background color that ranges from yellow-brown to light powder-gray, with copious amounts of black throughout. This is a distinct morph (morph is variety created by breeders and not found in the wild) with a wide, central head stripe and black anterior and posterior facial markings. They have flatter-looking heads and a background color that ranges from gray and silver to a rich, dusky yellow. Short-tailed Boas have between 226 and 237 ventral scales, twenty-two dorsal blotches, and heavily speckled dark bellies. Red-Tailed Boas are the largest subspecies of boa and are arguably the most beautiful. They have black speckled bellies and defined red blotches on the surface of their posterior and tail, thus the name. This is the most popular boa subspecies, with a greater number of ventral scales (234–250) and blotches. There are quite a few different color and pattern varieties created by breeders, one of the most popular being the scarlet Blood Phase Boa. Common boas don’t have speckled bellies, but if they do they are lightly speckled and the pattern on the tail appears to be smudged. The common boas have less than 253 ventral (belly surface) scales and at least 21 dorsal (top surface) blotches (the area between the vent and the neck). They typically have blotches on their tails and scale patterns that look like leaves, ovals, diamonds, or circles.ĭepending on the subspecies, your boa can take on a variety of looks. Depending on the habitat they’re trying to blend into, boas can have a range of colors, including tan, green, red, and yellow. A boa’s small cloacal spurs on the sides of its vent (anus) are actually connected to said vestigial limbs!īoa constrictors have distinctive and varied markings. They have vestigial remnants of the pelvis and hind limbs of their lizard-like predecessors. Boa Constrictor Appearanceīoas are primitive snakes, just like pythons.

In fact, the oldest recorded boa lived to be just over forty-three and lived at the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens.

It’s quite normal for a boa constrictor to live for twenty to thirty years or more. Boa Constrictor Lifespanīoa constrictors are among the longest-lived snake species in the world. The largest boa constrictor on record is believed to have been 14 feet in length. Most captive-bred boa constrictors do not exceed a weight of 60 pounds, with most subspecies topping out at around 30 pounds. Male boa constrictors tend to be a little smaller than females.

The average adult size ranges from 4 to 7 feet in length, with some individuals occasionally reaching 8 or 9 feet in length. Newborn boa constrictors range in length between 14 and 22 inches and weigh just 2 to 3 ounces. Boa Constrictor Sizeīoas are one of the few snakes that produce live births, versus eggs that need to be incubated. There are six subspecies currently recognized by all herpetologists, including the Common Boa Constrictor, Red-Tailed Boa Constrictor, Clouded Boa Constrictor, San Lucia Boa Constrictor, Short-Tailed Boa Constrictor, and Argentine Boa Constrictor. This is one of the few instances where an animal’s scientific name is the same as its common name.

Full grown boa constrictor