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People
appreciate captive Boa
sp. of different
types and localities
for a variety of reasons.
Perhaps it is simply
the color of a particular
locality or phase or
morph, or a unique
or eye-catching set
of pattern traits.
Handle-ability is also
considered as well
as ease of maintenance
and the relative likelihood
the animals will reproduce.
Value and return-on-investment
are often also considered.
Arguably, not all Suriname
boas would get the
highest marks in some
of those fields, yet
keepers and collectors
of every level of experience
with the Boa love
and admire Suriname
red-tails. To many
keepers the Suriname
snakes represent the
ultimate true red-tail
boa.
The red-tails of Suriname loom large in the Boa world. Taken as a group they are among the larger races of Boa, individuals managed for size may attain lengths of over 3 meters, though the average adult size of a Suriname snake is a much more manageable 2.0 to 2.7 meters. Top examples of Suriname Boa strongly display the trademark attributes of the red-tails; bold markings and colors which resist fading or blending with age, a large angular head, the tall and muscular body-morph and of course the flowing and contrasting deep red or cherry red or velvet red tail-saddles. And also the persistent feeling that a Suriname boa is somehow only allowing us to handle it, not sitting dumbly in our grasp. This is what a true red-tail is all about!
The color and contrast
of top-quality Suriname
red-tails is unsurpassed.
Many hobbyists have failed
in keeping Suriname boas,
particularly wild-collected
ones. The animals don’t
thrive for two main reasons.
First and foremost is
that Boa c. constrictor,
especially those of the
Suriname/Guyana complex
require some special
care and consideration
which novice keepers
frequently do not provide.
Secondly is the poor
quality of many BCC (especially
Guyana boas) available
in the trade. Because
of some unique characteristics
of the animals they are
especially susceptible
to problems arising from
stress, crowded or sub-standard
housing, and contagion.
Import BCC especially,
including many so-called ‘farmed’ boas,
are frequently in poor
health by the time they
reach their new homes
here in the U.S.. Responsible
keepers and dealers can
play an important role
in safeguarding these
animals in nature and
in captivity by insisting
on clean healthy animals
and not dealing in sick
or stressed Suriname
stock (or others) at
any price. Healthy captive-produced
Surinames (and good-quality
imports as well) pose
little additional challenge
to the caring, observant
keeper.
What
Makes a Boa a Suriname Boa?
Many factors combine to produce the confusion some keepers have over what is or is not a Suriname (or other locality) boa. Ultimately only the knowledge of where it or it's parents were collected defines the exact locality of a boa. Because of market factors, lax import-export practices and even some trickery on the part of exporters and others many people have nice Boa from the Guyana, Suriname and Guiana area with no real assurance of locality. In addition it is certainly possible to obtain specimens of Boa from either Guyana or French Guiana that would be largely indistinguishable from a known Suriname snake, especially if they were selected for recognizable “Suriname” traits. Nonetheless a large body of knowledge and strong opinion has formed over many years among Suriname boa admirers (a near cult, actually) that fairly closely define expectations of what a Suriname boa should look like.
Rio Bravo Reptiles conducted a survey on how to define a Suriname redtail boa. Almost one hundred people at every level of experience participated. The reader can decide for him or herself whether the following information is of any value in determining general locality of Boa
constrictor c. from the Suriname area or simply represents the majority of opinion. Perhaps the archetypal Boa drawn from these responses is only what a real fan of the Suriname Boa would like to see? If so then this could be a powerful tool for structuring your next Suriname breeding project!
What is the description of a Suriname boa?
The survey revealed that people really admire Suriname boas! And an overwhelming majority of respondents do use saddle-counts, head morphology and other visible traits to identify boas, including localities of Boa c. constrictor. In this case most keepers believe a Suriname boa to have 15-20 peaked saddles (18 optimum, S-V) on a tan or silver background and are not striped. They have an above average red-tail with white highlights; the sides and sometimes the dorsum can be rosy or purplish and are speckled to a greater or lesser extent. The ventral surface is moderately to heavily patterned. They have recognizable head features and lateral markings. Despite known husbandry difficulties we also rate these snakes as average to very good captives compared to other boas. This last comment on husbandry is included as a reminder that locality also carries a sub-set of (potentially) identifiable behavioral traits! This synopsis was nearly unanimously supported by survey respondents claiming ten or more years experience with the boas. We also agree.
–
A. Rentfro, RioBravoReptiles.com
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 Suriname
Red-Tail (Boa
constrictor c. )
A very colorful and well-marked
redtail from the interior of Suriname,
along the upper Suriname River
to the south of the Brokopondo
impoundment.
 Suriname
Red-Tail (Boa
constrictor c. )
Another central Suriname red-tail,
this one exhibits rather reduced
saddle peaking.
 Male
Guyana Red-Tail (Boa
constrictor c. )
This extremely colorful male boa
is known to have been collected
in Guyana (Essequibo River). Note
the weakness of the markings at
the angle of the body (where top
meets sides) compared to very many
Suriname snakes as well as the
blocky dorsal saddles. Guyana boas
have an earned reputation for being
difficult captives with unpredictable
temperaments, due in no small measure
to the very poor quality of a high
percentage of Boa imported from
Guyana.
 Adult
Female Guyana Red-Tail (Boa
constrictor c. )
Adult female Essequibo River, Guyana
boa. The floating saddles, violet-grey
tone, faded laterals and less-dominant
tail-saddles are considered by
many to be traits more frequently
seen in Guyana red-tails and less-common
in Suriname boa populations. In
addition to these differences boas
from Suriname are normally somewhat
better captives and more manageable.
 Neonate
Suriname Red-Tail (Boa
constrictor c. )
Neonate Suriname red-tail boas
still resting undisturbed approximately
11 hours after birth. At Rio Bravo
Reptiles we very rarely intervene
in the birth-process or handle
baby boas until they are completely
dry and dispersing from the nest
the mother has prepared.
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