Mystery Boa
One current project I am involved in is breeding special color morphs of boa constrictors, specializing in salmon boas (Ihle, Schuett and Hughes, 2000). In 1991, at a pet store I was involved in, a customer brought me a female subadult boa constrictor that he wanted to sell. This animal was a very dark, iridescent red and quite different looking in its color patterns from other boas I had seen. One of its more remarkable attributes were its deep red eyes.I was somewhat perplexed about what type of boa it was, because it didn't look like any other boa I'd had ever seen. Despite my uncertainties about its background, however, I purchased it. After a quick photography session, I sent photos off to several friends who had considerable firsthand knowledge of boas.
The censuses was that it was likely from Central America, possibly Panama. In fact, a REPTILES article by Louis W. Porras (December 1999) confirms that the salmon phenotype is present in a number of populations in Panama, especially those isolated on islands. And discussions with Dr. David L. Hardy Sr., who has worked extensively in Panama, also confirmed that boas of that region can possess the salmon phenotype. (Dr. Hardy himself maintains a female salmon boa from Panama and has been successful in reproducing this individual with a wild male. His results are similar to mine regarding phenotypic inheritance.)
After nearly a year of keeping the boa, it was sold to a customer in 1992. Then, in 1993, the gentlemen who purchased it came back to the pet store with the animal in tow. He explained that he was unable to keep it and wanted to know if I was interested in buying it back. I was and I did. Once again, I possessed the strange, dark boa.
In the summer of that same year, another customer purchased the boa. She housed it with a male Colombian red tail and, remarkably, in spring 1994, she informed me that the dark female boa had given birth to 23 babies. Of these, seven were quite different and beautiful in appearance.
Obviously, I was very anxious to see the litter; especially those individuals that she claimed were "different". About a week later, she brought several of the baby boas to the store, both normal-appearing young and some that were unique. I was very impressed with their overall reduction in black and light coloration (pale salmon ground color), reduction of the size of the dorsal saddles and lateral blotches, and the ventral side was nearly patternless.
Although the woman (whose name was Claire) was reluctant to sell me the entire litter, I was able to purchase several of the special-looking animals. I then decided to rear them for my own breeding project. I also told the woman that if the boa had another litter, I would interested in acquiring the entire litter.
In spring of 1995, I received a call from Claire, and she informed me that the dark boa had had another litter of 23 babies. Like before, seven were unique in appearance. She agreed to sell me all seven of the light-colored animals, as well as several of the normal littermates. Also, I informed her that if she ever intended to sell the dark female and Colombian male, that I would be very interested in owning them. Later that summer, she agreed to sell me both of these animals.
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