![]() All heterozygous (or het) boas are guaranteed authentic. However, these boas were crossed with a Surinam Boa constrictor constrictor, giving them even more intensified reds.We currently have available, captive born & bred boa constrictors and dwarf boa constrictors for sale at BBC Reptiles. The Dutch Pastel line was created in a similar fashion by Freek Nuyt. Now other breeders have created their own lines of pastels, some include Cherry, Inferno, Summit, Ferrari, and Flamingo. The Pastel Dream line originates from Jeff Ronne’s selective breeding of light colored Colombian hypomelanistic boas. It is believed to be a polygenic trait that is somewhat dominantly inherited.Įast Bay Vivariums began the EBV Red Group line, it can be described as “erythristic” meaning an abundance of red, they typically have colorful saddles. Pastel is a line bred trait that results in intensified colors and a further reduction of melanin pigmentation in hypomelanistic boas. Central American boa constrictors have more erythrophores than their South American counterparts which correspond with their red/orange appearance. However, when melanophores are dysfunctional and melanin is not synthesized then light is able to reach the colored pigment cells and long-wavelength light is reflected. When melanophores are functioning correctly little light is able to penetrate beneath the black pigmentation and is instead short-wavelength light is reflected. Melanophores (black pigmentation) are located above the color-containing pigment cells such as xanthophores (yellow pigments), erythrophores (red pigments), and leucophores (white pigments). The increased reds and oranges observed in hypomelanistic boa constrictors result from the anatomy of the chromatophores residing in their dermis and epidermis. The Taboga Island Boa is naturally hypomelanistic with black fleckling, bright orange saddles and tail blotches, a yellow-beige body, orange eyes, and almost no pattern. Interestingly, their saddle count is also greater than normal Sonora Desert boas and they have orange or red eyes. They have very little black on their bodies, mostly limited to the tips of their tail. In Sonora Desert boas the hypomelanistic mutation results in a blonde/orange body coloration and a rust-colored tail. The blotches at the tip of the tail are typically outlined in black. The saddles are typically a deep red brown outlined in a dark brown. In Nicaraguan boas the hypomelanistic mutation results in intense red/orange body and tail coloration with random black flecking. Other forms of hypomelanism have occurred spontaneously in other Boa constrictor imperator localities. These two lines of hypomelanistic boas are compatible and thus most boas on the market are a mix of the two. Mainland Panama hypomelanistic boas typically have slightly shorter heads and smaller eyes. He named this trait Orange Tail Hypomelanistic, it is distinguished from the salmon line due to the increased oranges and their slightly elongated heads. The second originates from Panama boas and was started by Jeff Gee. They were selectively bred to create the Salmon line which has more reds and browns than a wild type. This cross produces seven light orange boas that were purchased by Richard Ihle. ![]() The first originating from a cross between a wild hypomelanistic Panama boa and a Colombian boa. There are several hypomelanistic mutations. Heterozygous hypos usually maintain the typical wildtype patterns and have some black flecking throughout their bodies. ![]() ![]() The heterozygote will express proteins for each allele and can be considered an intermediate phenotype between wild and “super hypo”. When the animal is heterozygous meaning it carries one mutated allele and one normal allele then a completely different phenotype is expressed. The super form has reduced pattern and has very little black pigmentation. The homologous form of the mutation is expressed when the boa has two homologous alleles of the mutated gene, this is referred to as the “super” form. This mutation is incomplete dominant and can be found in both Central and South American boas. The Hypomelanistic mutation causes a drastic reduction in black pigmentation resulting from dysfunctional melanophores.
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