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 About
the Short-tailed boas
( Boa constrictor
amarali )
Our good friends Kevin
and Charlotte Barnett
have this to say:
History
The original written
description of the amarali
appeared in the February
1932 “Occasional
Papers of the Boston
Society of Natural History”,
(Stull). Type and paratype
animals were collected
by Dr. Afranjo do Amaral
and the new subspecies
was named in his honor.
Additional paratypes
were collected by Dr.
Jose Steinbach, Dr.
Karl P Schmidt and an
unknown Brazilian collector
to provide the 8 specimens
originally examined.
Phenotype examination
revealed amarali
to have an average ventral
scale count of 232 and
an average of 48 subcaudals.
This in comparison to
242 and 54 for boa
constrictor constrictor,
243 and 59 for boa
constrictor imperator,
243 and 68 for boa
constrictor sabogae,
and lower in comparison
to an average of 247
ventrals in boa constrictor
occidentalis.
Range and habitat
Amarali occupy a range
between Boa constrictor
c. to the North
and Boa constrictor
occidentalis to
the South. They occur
in eastern Bolivia and
Paraguay and extend
across southern Brazil
to the coast. Habitat
preference ranges from
jungle and coastal swamp
to semiarid scrub and
rocky hillsides.
Characteristics
The amarali are
relatively small, thick-bodied,
powerful boas normally
under 7’ in length.
Ground color ranges
from grays and silvers
to a pale tan, taupe
or brown with more than
21 saddle-shaped dorsal
blotches and 4-5 posterior
tail saddles.
Lateral medallions and
coloration vary from
gray to black to red
and purple. Ventral
coloration is often
heavily speckled with
a heavy gray wash extending
into the laterals. Most
specimens have laterally
compressed head structures
with a mid-dorsal head
stripe lacking lateral
projections. Temperament
varies widely within
collections. Most neonates
exhibit typical defensive
posturing including
tail rattling, body
tightening and hissing
when first approached.
Ignored posturing may
elicit a defensive strike.
Most become tractable
as they mature. Neonate
Brazilian amarali
have been reported to
have a more delicate
digestive system than
the Bolivian form, although
most do well with a
feeding regimen similar
to boa constrictor
c. for the first
year.
U.S. Collections
Recognized bloodlines
of Bolivian amarali
in US collections all
originated with Joe
Terry. Two bloodlines
of Brazilian amarali
are known in the US,
Lemke and King. The
King bloodline is more
difficult to acquire.
Until recently amarali
have been widely overlooked
in the commercial sector.
Recent pairings producing
extraordinary reddish
and purple specimens
have generated a strong
response from the public.
Amarali are an ideally
sized boa with a fascinating
and well-defined look.
They typically require
less space than the
constrictor or the imperator
subspecies. Responsible
breeders are working
to insure a viable captive
population of these
unique boas in the US
for generations to come.
Thank you!
— Charlotte
and Kevin Barnett
Ectothermics
www.ectothermics.com
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