The presence of these defects can make boa breeding quite dangerous if you aren't sure of what you're doing. These defects can severely limit a boa's survival skills and result in premature deaths - especially in the wild. This can drastically affect its basic functionality and ability to go about day-to-day tasks. Birth defects are not like this at all.īirth defects in boa constrictors result in lost or gained genes, often resulting in an entirely different anatomy of a boa. Most times nothing is added or taken away from these boas - they just look different. Morphisms are mutations in a boa constrictor's DNA, resulting in a different physical appearance but keeping their basic biology the same. It's important to know the difference so that you can tell when a characteristic is caused by a morph and when it's something that's actually problematic. Earlier, it was mentioned that morphs and birth defects aren't the same thing. Since morphs are mostly superficial differences, there are no differences in their basic needs as living creatures. No matter which morph you decide to go with, though, all boa constrictors will cost roughly the same amount of money throughout their lives. Prices will also vary depending on temperament, age, and the unique styling of each individual snake. You'll see most morphs selling for somewhere between $200 and $800, which isn't cheap but is much cheaper than top of the line designer boas. These exorbitant prices are quite uncommon, though. Some rare, stunning combinations of the most desirable morphs sell for upwards of $10,000 to $15,000! However, there are some boa constrictor morphs, such as the Sterling and Eclipse, that can fetch thousands of dollars. These days you can find normal, healthy boa constrictors for around $100. It's this unique appearance that adds tons of value to some morphs. However, the existence and popularization of morphs has definitely changed the way boas have been viewed by society.ĭespite the fact that basically all morphs behave the same and have the same requirements, they can look extremely different and beautiful. You could commonly find boas for sale in pet stores and from breeders for under $100. Back in 1970-1980, boas were quite boring and relatively affordable. In short, boa constrictor morphs are significantly more expensive than standard boas. So, boa constrictor morphs aren't genetically-inferior versions of standard boas, they're simply the same snake with a much different appearance! The dominance of these mutations determine whether or not these changes will be visible in the offspring, so it's quite an important aspect for boa breeders to consider. When these mutations are present in the sex cells of the parent snakes, they can be passed down to their children and continue on for generations.
#Anaconda vs boa constrictor skin
The mutations that occur in boas, or morphs, affect the physical appearance of the snake by changing where and what kind of skin pigment is produced. Some mutations cause protein to be made, while other inhibit protein production. When a DNA sequence mutates, quite a few different things can happen in that organism. Every living creature is made up of strands of DNA - a molecule responsible for carrying the instructions for growth and development in an organism. However, the concept can be simplified down to the existence of mutations. The scientific reasoning behind the existence of morphs is quite complex, so it won't be extensively covered in this post.
We'll also highlight common defects in snakes to help identify them easier. One thing to note is that a morphism is different from a birth defect, and this difference will be explained later in this post. A morph is a type of boa constrictor that's a different color and pattern than what you'll most commonly see in standard boas. New morphs are being discovered all the time, and these morphs in turn help to form new morphs. While we've highlighted 19 primary morphs within this post, there are definitely more than this out there. There are hundreds of different morphs and morph combinations that result in a wide array of boas existing today. So what exactly are boa morphs? A morph is a genetic mutation that alters the physical appearance of a boa constrictor while keeping it the same breed. While most people are aware of the existence of boa constrictors, they generally aren't aware of the fact that there are dozens, if not hundreds of unique kinds of boas due to something called morphs.
These reptiles are extremely interesting, beautiful, and quite profitable if they're being bred. Boa constrictors are some of the most popular snake pets, right behind ball pythons.
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