ALBINO BOA

ORIGINAL STRAIN

    In 1983 Four newborn albino boas were, imported from Colombia. The group consisted of three males and one female. Over the next six years the boas grew to sexual maturity. The owners were unable to get the boas to successfully reproduce, which resulted in their decision to sell one of the males. This single adult male albino boa was bought by Peter Kahl of Baltimore, MD. 

    Peter paid $25,000.00, at which time was probably the largest amount ever paid for a single snake. Pete acquired six female Colombian boas and quarantined them from the male. In November of 1989 the seven animals were placed together. During December and January, the albino male repeatedly bred each female. In June of 1990 two of the six females produced babies. These babies were the first heterozygous for albinos ever produced. As a result of heavy feedings, the babies were nearly six foot in length within one year. Due to their size Peter decided to put a group together for the 91' breeding season. The decision paid off. In June of 1992 the first captive born albino boas were produced. The litter consisted of 22 babies, three of which were albino.

Article compliments of: Pete Kahl and Chris Romine

Photos compliments of: Pete Kahl, Chris Romine and Jeremy Stone

SHARP STRAIN

Article and Photos needed.

CORAL PHASE

    The coral albino boa is one that has appeared in several litters of the
original strain of albino boa. I have only produced a few coral albino
boas in the past four years and this season have bred two coral albinos
with each other. These are one of the most colorful of the albino boas I
have ever seen. It should be interesting to see how the offspring turn
out from this breeding. The litter should be born in June 2000.

Article and Photos compliments of: Pete Kahl 

PARADOX

    If an animal has characteristics of an amelanistic albino but also has splashes of pitch-black pigmentation, then what is it? That is the nature of the paradox by this new boa constrictor morph produced by Vision Herpetological. Obviously there is a great deal yet to be learned about the genetics of pigmentation in snakes.

    The history of the "Paradox" boa constrictor is worth elaborating on because it shows the kinds of reproductive experiments that can lead to new "designer" snakes. The sire of the "Paradox" boa is a hybrid Suriname red-tail boa x Colombian boa heterozygous for albinism (Boa constrictor constrictor x B. c. imperator). The sire was bred with two sibling female Colombian common boas (B. c. imperator) that were heterozygous for albinism.

    One female produced a litter of 16 babies, four of which ere albino. The other had a litter of 18 babies of which six were albino. Each female produced one "Paradox" boa constrictor. This suggests that a combination of two different recessive genes may be required for the expression of this trait. By raising these two female "Paradox" boas to sexual maturity and back crossing them to their father, it is hoped that the genetics of this new boa constrictor morph will be elucidated and this new morph will be established in herpetoculture.

Article and Photos compliments of: David A. Northcott