Gotta love Tarahumara Mountain Boas

[Nocturnalnature]

Having worked with and produced several different types of “high end” or extremely rare reptiles since the mid 90’s, I found myself becoming almost jaded and disenchanted with the more common species found in the hobby.

I am pleased to find that the new little project with my grandson is quickly becoming one of my all time favorites. They may not be flashy, rare, or particularly expensive, but they have certainly reignited my childhood passion for all reptiles. When I see the wonder and amazement in my grandson, I see myself in him and am flooded with fond memories of my own childhood discovery of these amazing creatures.
I truly consider it just one more blessing that having grandkids has brought to me.

Can’t wait to move them from the quarantine room to the main collection and set up some attractive enclosure for them.

 

[kingshockey]

nice lookin boa reminds me of a darker colored red tail

 

[viper69]

Having worked with and produced several different types of “high end” or extremely rare reptiles since the mid 90’s, I found myself becoming almost jaded and disenchanted with the more common species found in the hobby.

I am pleased to find that the new little project with my grandson is quickly becoming one of my all time favorites. They may not be flashy, rare, or particularly expensive, but they have certainly reignited my childhood passion for all reptiles. When I see the wonder and amazement in my grandson, I see myself in him and am flooded with fond memories of my own childhood discovery of these amazing creatures.
I truly consider it just one more blessing that having grandkids has brought to me.

Can’t wait to move them from the quarantine room to the main collection and set up some attractive enclosure for them.
View attachment 482828

Almost bought a pair in the 90s just due to their size. Bought a Hogg instead. All the small boas are great!

Have you seen the Dominican Mountain Boa, and the myriad of phenotypes you can get in a single clutch? I think it’s around 10+ types from 2 parents is possible. Excellent disposition too.

If I was to breed it would be those or something like what you have, great choice.

 

[Nocturnalnature]

Almost bought a pair in the 90s just due to their size. Bought a Hogg instead. All the small boas are great!

Have you seen the Dominican Mountain Boa, and the myriad of phenotypes you can get in a single clutch? I think it’s around 10+ types from 2 parents is possible. Excellent disposition too.

If I was to breed it would be those or something like what you have, great choice.

Funny you mention the Dominican Mountains!
I got in a beautiful 4.5 of fiery red ones, along with Tom Crutchfield, and a few others, many years ago.
They were easy keepers, but good grief were they nasty, both in temperament and the amount of husbandry required to keep the enclosures clean.
They were the easiest Boidae to breed that I’ve ever worked with, however the neonates were a real pain in the butt to get started on rodents.

I can honestly say I was glad to move on from that project

 

[Tarantuland]

Mine just shed, bought from Vin Russo a few months ago. Angry little boa but I love her

 

[viper69]

Funny you mention the Dominican Mountains!
I got in a beautiful 4.5 of fiery red ones, along with Tom Crutchfield, and a few others, many years ago.
They were easy keepers, but good grief were they nasty, both in temperament and the amount of husbandry required to keep the enclosures clean.
They were the easiest Boidae to breed that I’ve ever worked with, however the neonates were a real pain in the butt to get started on rodents.

I can honestly say I was glad to move on from that project

The ones I held were CB and were super nice! Were those WC sounds it?

Wow, I met a guy who has had the exact opposite experience of you. That is wild. I love their diverse phenotypes though. You have everyone trying generations to get whatever, and Dominicans give diversity out often in one clutch.

 

[viper69]

View attachment 482831 Mine just shed, bought from

He’s the only one I’d buy locality boas from. He used to be the “only one”, and then all the boa breeders starting crossing Hog Islands into anything for $- now you can’t always tell what is a pure Hog and what isn’t. It’s disgusting.

The same is happening to this locality too. It’s terrible.

 

[Nocturnalnature]

The ones I held were CB and were super nice! Were those WC sounds it?

Wow, I met a guy who has had the exact opposite experience of you. That is wild. I love their diverse phenotypes though. You have everyone trying generations to get whatever, and Dominicans give diversity out often in one clutch.

The founding stock were WC, however the subsequent generations were just as defensive and quick to strike.
In all fairness though, I didn’t have time to routinely handle each individual animal on a routine basis, so that plays a large role in my particular experience with them.

The amount of fecal matter and urates they produced compared to body size was incredible. The only thing that I can compare it to are Indigo’s.

 

[viper69]

The founding stock were WC, however the subsequent generations were just as defensive and quick to strike.
In all fairness though, I didn’t have time to routinely handle each individual animal on a routine basis, so that plays a large role in my particular experience with them.

The amount of fecal matter and urates they produced compared to body size was incredible. The only thing that I can compare it to are Indigo’s.

Wow- well some remain that way hah. This guy loved them, he must have handled them a lot as I held several from different clutches he produced. Indeed I was all set to get my first Indigo until I learned about their disproportional defecation, and spraying it all over the glass

This guy is a well known Indigo breeder, I don’t know how he deals with that By far one of the most gorgeous, and amazing disposition. I was seconds away from buying one!

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Having worked with and produced several different types of “high end” or extremely rare reptiles since the mid 90’s, I found myself becoming almost jaded and disenchanted with the more common species found in the hobby.

I am pleased to find that the new little project with my grandson is quickly becoming one of my all time favorites. They may not be flashy, rare, or particularly expensive, but they have certainly reignited my childhood passion for all reptiles. When I see the wonder and amazement in my grandson, I see myself in him and am flooded with fond memories of my own childhood discovery of these amazing creatures.
I truly consider it just one more blessing that having grandkids has brought to me.

Can’t wait to move them from the quarantine room to the main collection and set up some attractive enclosure for them.
View attachment 482828

How big do they get very nice!!! I never had a snake parents hate them .

 

[Nocturnalnature]

Wow- well some remain that way hah. This guy loved them, he must have handled them a lot as I held several from different clutches he produced. Indeed I was all set to get my first Indigo until I learned about their disproportional defecation, and spraying it all over the glass

This guy is a well known Indigo breeder, I don’t know how he deals with that By far one of the most gorgeous, and amazing disposition. I was seconds away from buying one!

I’ve never seen anything outside the Drymarchon complex that can be so beautiful, yet so nasty and dirty at the same time, but the Dominicans definitely reminded me of them in certain ways.

 

[viper69]

I’ve never seen anything outside the Drymarchon complex that can be so beautiful, yet so nasty and dirty at the same time, but the Dominicans definitely reminded me of them in certain ways.

Man, I've never seen a species that could be as poopy either haha, this definitely won't be forgotten! Same on temperment! I'lll stick with BPs, Boas, Womas, and Kings

 

[Nocturnalnature]

How big do they get very nice!!! I never had a snake parents hate them .

Average size for mature males is 3.5 - 4 foot, with females usually topping out a foot or so larger.
A far cry from the size of the imperator’s that I kept as a young man, but just as personable.

 

[Nocturnalnature]

Viper,
If you like the Indigo’s you owe it to yourself to test drive one or more of these.
Same insane feeding response, same calm demeanor, same inquisitive nature, same iridescence, just in a smaller package with less mess.

Costa Rican Black Milk Snake
This is a 3 year old, 4 1/2 foot female I was holding back, but giving serious thought to thinning down this project to add more Tarahumara’s. She’ll likely add another foot of length before her growth slows to a crawl.


And as a bonus, the youngsters are tri colored so you get to watch the change happen with each shed.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Average size for mature males is 3.5 - 4 foot, with females usually topping out a foot or so larger.
A far cry from the size of the imperator’s that I kept as a young man, but just as personable.

Smaller snakes are cooler to me imo, I would consider snakes if I moved out or lizards. But just inverts for now . I think Pac-Man frog requires special heating, I could probably get away with one of those.