WHERE
The Sierra de Tamaulipas occupy the Eastern portion of the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico. To the west is a very different drier, lower elevation habitat where boa also exist although those boa aren’t generally as colorful and grow to much larger size.These boa are to boa aficionados the newest locality specific boa from Mexico to make it into the hands of herpetoculturists. They have their own special look and personalities compared to the other boa from Mexico that exist currently in captivity. These were likely one of if not the rarest locality specific race of boa constrictor in captivity for a few years but that distinction was quickly overcome by their hardy nature and they breed very easily season after season. Below are a couple of links to wikipedia articles about the habitat these boa thrive in.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamaulipas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_forest
SIZE
While there are much larger boa in Western Tamaulipas, Mexico these boa from the cloud forest habitat are generally quite small in comparison yet very thick and girthy. I have seen photos of boa that live in the lower elevation habitat whom were very large, rivaling even true red tail boa for size. These cloud forest boa however seemingly rarely exceed only four feet. It is possible that with the right husbandry routine to keep them quite small. Some breeders report keeping their adults in 28 quart tubs! The males are smaller than the females. However my boa would be quite crowded in such a small tub. My female is a hair under four feet and the male a bit under three feet. They are mature adults that have produced multiple litters. For that length these are very thick and girthy boa more similar in stature to a short tail python than other dwarf or mid dwarf boa.
APPEARANCE
While these are very dark and contrasting boas, there are some very appealing colors under their dark black pattern that shows on the boa where no black pigment is present. The contrast between the dark black pattern and pastel orange/peach color underneath is striking. I’m sure some selective breeding will be done to bring this color out more but that will be difficult. Picking a “nice one” from a litter will be an exercise in futility because these boa change so dramatically as they grow. This is true of many boa but particularly true with this particular boa. The color is really starting to come in on these boa as they mature and knowing so little about what to expect them to look like as adults makes raising them very exciting. While somewhat bland as neonates, the adults are strikingly beautiful serpents. Watching these grow is real treat. Even as sexually mature adults they continue to change. Unlike some boa who simply get darker over time these boa also see an increase in the intensity of the other colors hiding under that black pigment. The rounded tail saddles are a seeming trademark of these boa.
My adult breeders are F1 generation boa. The parents of these boa were wild caught boa. It has become harder to acquire any locality boa so close in generation to the founder stock from the wild. These boa represent a fine opportunity to do so.
These pictures are of young boa that are going to change a great deal as adults. More recent and better photos can be found on my Facebook page. A link to that page is provided on my contact page. These are pure Rio Bravo Reptiles bloodline boas purchased directly from Gus Rentfro.