boa constrictor boa constrictor boa constrictor boa constrictor boa constrictor boa constrictor boa constrictor boa constrictor boa

Since the term "redtail boa" is existing, the boa c. enthusiasts distinguish Suriname- and Guyana redtail boas. But it is a fact that it makes no sense to classify these boas due to a political border, arbitrary drawn by politicians.

Suriname has been a Dutch colony until 1975 and was known as Dutch Guyana. French Guyana, Guyana and Suriname (the former Dutch Guyana) are adjacent and not separated by natural obstacles which would hinder the migration or distribution of Boa c. constrictor.

It was our opinion for quite a while now that it is impossible to determine the origin of a Boa c. constrictor from Suriname or Guyana from its appearence. In January 2005, we have got this interesting report, who finally eliminates the myth that Suriname and Guyana redtail boas are two different snakes:

Lawrence van Sertima, born and raised in Guyana, is currently dwelling in the U.S. and earns his living with the import of boas from Guyana that he gets from his son who is still living there. Here is his report:

My name is Lawrence van Sertima, I am now in my mid sixties, and was born and grew in Guyana. As a hobby I collected reptiles from in my teens and was then considered a madman for doing so. In my mid twenties I became an animal exporter primarily working with reptiles. The boa constrictor has always been my favorite reptile, and I have collected and owned hundreds of these snakes. I do not market myself as an expert, but as my history will have shown I am not exactly a novice.

Though I can not remember the exact year, some what over ten years back when the Peoples Progressive Party came to power in Guyana, the new President Dr. Cheddy Jagan closed the wild life trade.

The buyers did not go out of business, but simply took their trade next door to Suriname, at the same time our trappers still had to feed their families so instead of selling the snakes from Guyana, they took them across the Curantine river to Suriname , thus giving our traditional market over to our competitors. All of a sudden Suriname became the leading shipper of red tail boas.

When Guyana re-opened for trade, we had lost the edge, and the Suriname boa was the big thing.

I have seen a wide variety of red tail boa color phases often taken from the same area by the same trapper. I have also had the amusing pleasure of having a young man in the U.S. explain to me the difference of the two types as he separated a shipment that had actually come from MY farm in Guyana.

So now you have the history of the Suriname boa and the Guyana boa.

As you mentioned the border is political and not natural. I hope that this helps to deflate the bull shit of two different snakes.

Lawrence van Sertima.

From that the Suriname/Guyana issue is finally settled: There is no difference in appearence like for instance in Brazilian- or Peruvian redtails.

Our friend Dennis Sargent, one of the most well-known breeder of true locality subspecies of Boa constrictor
in the U.S. took this view for a long time:

"Dear Hermann,

I have spoken with people that are in the reptile business and were born and raised in Guyana and Suriname. They have said that the many forms of Boa constrictor constrictor come from all over the area. To point this out even more clearly, in this years litter of 16 baby Guyana redtails, I had babies that were light and some that were dark, some with connected patterns and some with seperate saddles, some with wide saddles and some with narrow saddles. Someone could actually look at the boas individually and think that some were Surinames and some were Guyanas.

My adults came from the same source at the same time.

(...)

Best wishes,
Dennis"