Boa c. imperator - Hog Island Boas
...already extinct in the wild?
An interesting color variation of Boa c. imperator was imported to Germany first in 1988 from Cayo de los Cochinos, an Island off the coast of Honduras.
These animals, the
so-called Hog Island Boas (Hog Island is the nickname
of Cayo de los Cochinos) are also a naturally hypomelanistic form.
The basic coloration ranges from a milky white up to a dark grey-brown. Some
extraordinary specimens even show a shining orange colour.
|
|
Hog Island boa, adult female depending on the
time of the day the shade is either
|
The "hoggies" have frequently been labelled as "Boa c. sigma" by retailers. This is obviously incorrect. By the way, it is doubtful that "Boa c. sigma" exists at all. This boa is no longer mentioned in recent publications.
But back to the hoggies: Taxonomists agree that they are but an island form of Boa c. imperator. We are no taxonomists or scale counters, but we think it is a pity that the Hog Island boa was not recognized as a separate subspecies.
This likely "broke the neck" of the Hog Island boas on Cayo de los Cochinos. According to several sources, no Boa constrictor have been seen on this island for several years now.
|
|
wildcaught male, imported in the early 90s |
The Hog Island Boa boom in the early 90s resulted in the excessive exploitation of these animals. Along with habitat destruction and the common killing of boas by the natives, this lead to the number of boas on Cayo de los Cochinos apparently decreasing to an amount at which the existing population had no chance of long-term survival.
It seems that the Hog Island boas exist only in captivity now. However, even the number of captive born specimens is declining (at least in Europe).
What makes things even worse is that a breeder in the U.S. started to breed his Hog Island Boas to his crossbred hypomelanistic boas, in order to get offspring of a nicer appearance. Ironically, he actually earned applause for the outcome.
|
|
Hog Island Boa photo courtesy of Christian Wallner |
Hog Island boas change their shade. While they are extremely bright and almost without recognizable markings in the morning, they are darker and rich in contrast in the evening. The "Hogies" are a small morph. Normally the females reach 6 ft in length at the most.
