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2010 Breeding season Updates

Aphrodite X SalxBats FLRT male

BORN !!!!! 6/27/2010 @ 9:30 AM. It was a small litter of 9 very large plump babies, but every one of them is absolutely perfect. These babies have dad's patterns with mom's tails and vibrant colouration. Here are some teaser Pics.

Visit my good friend Amer's website at Florida Redtails

Amer has helped me bring some of the best North Brazilians and Surinames in the USA into my collection. If you're looking for the highest caliber of designer redtails, look no further than Florida Redtails.

My Customers get a complimentary Trial Version of Vyper

ABOUT ME

Professional Information

I’m a Certified Environmental Scientist. I work for the City of New Iberia as their Environmental Compliance Officer. I love my job and it’s honestly the first job that I’ve been excited to go to everyday. I deal with Environmental permitting, safety, GIS, soil and water diagnostics, operator training, and land application.

Proline Arboreal Cages with Custom Background

Herp History

I was pretty hardcore when it came to bloods and retics during the past 16 years, However, I decided to abandon all my retic projects summer of 2008. In my opinion there are far too many retics being bred. These pythons require a great deal of resources to flourish in captivity, and I really don’t think a large percentage of retic buyers have any idea what it will be like caring for a 17-20 foot snake. I can't live with the thought of contributing to the problem so I decided to focus on a new project.

I sold this girl to a friend that has a room sized enclosure. She's pushing 17 feet now.

I decided to focus my attention on True Redtail Boa constrictor constrictor. What can I say? These snakes are amazing! In my opinion they represent the total package as far as constricting snakes are concerned. They have very unique and intelligent behaviour, highly variable litters, amazing coloration, and have a manageable size. I have to admit that it was the Suriname locales that drew me into this species, but my real passion lies with the Brazilian races, particularly those originating in Northern Brazil.

My collection consists boas from the Suriname/Guyana, Brazilian, Bolivian, and Peruvian complexes. 2010 should kick off this project with a few choice pairings of Surinames and Bolivians, and North Brazilians may be ready to go in 2011.

I have gained an entirely new prospective on herpetoculture after delving into the world of BCC and locality boas. It is very rewarding to network with so many amazing people who share this odd passion of mine. I highly suggest the forum Reptile Insider to anyone with an interest in these amazing boas.

-Marc Duhon aka Kaiyudsai

Spendin a Weekend Cajun Style

For great Duck and Goose Hunting in Southwestern Louisiana go to

Blu's Hunting Lodge Kaplan LA

For you people who think it's cruel to shoot ducks... you feed rodents to your snakes right??? what's the difference.

2010 BREEDING PROJECTS

I have three pairings in the works right now. Hopefully they should be ready in late spring. I have seen copulation in two pairings.

LOCALE COLLECTION

TERMS of SALE

PAYMENT

I accept Paypal, USPS Money Order, Cashiers Check, and Personal Check. All funds must clear my account before finalizing sale. I will hold an animal for 30 days with a 20% non refundable deposit.

SHIPPING

I ship FedEx next day air only. Shipment usually arrives by 10:30 am the next day. In the event a package is late, please give me a call so I can contact FedEx. I have had more consistency over the years with FedEx, so I feel comfortable with their service. I do not accept responsibility for any delays incurred during shipment.

Animals will be shipped in high quality NEW insulated boxes, with the appropriate heating and cooling solution for the season. Shipping will only take place Monday through Wednesday. I will not ship animals during extreme weather conditions. Shipping prices will vary, but usually run around $55 - $65 for small boas. I only ship to locations in the lower 48, and am not set up to export.

SALES PHILOSOPHY

I take a great deal of pride in my boas. I would like to share my passion for these amazing animals by producing boas of the highest caliber. I will only offer for sale boas that are healthy, feeding, and well acclimated. All boas offerred for sale will be displayed in a picture gallery, and the boa you choose will be the one you recieve. If you need different pictures to help make your decision I will be happy to send some via email. As a small breeder, I am more interested in selling to people who share my passion for these boas. I may ask potential customers I don't know personally a few questions or ask for a reference to get a feel for you before completing a sale, so please don't get offended by this. I want my animals to go to good homes, where they will thrive.

As a customer of SURINAMBOAS.COM, you are entitled to advice and guidance throughout the lifetime of your boa.

SEXING

I dont probe neonates, but practice the "bump" method of sexing baby boas. This method is the industry standard practiced by all boa breeders I do business with and is safer for neonates and less invasive. I probe all boas over 1 year of age. Mis-sexing happens to the best of us, and I will try my best to accomodate you in the event I mis-sex your boa by exchanging it within 24 hours of reciept. I cannot however guarantee sex with 100% accuracy.

UPON RECIEPT of YOUR PACKAGE

• Inspect the packaging for damages caused in transit
• Observe the temperature of the contents of the package
• Carefully unpack your boa
• Give the boa time to acclimate
• Do not feed for at least 1 week
• Avoid handling until acclimated

If there are any problems with packaging, temperature, or health of your boa notify me immediately.

Thank you for your business

Boa Collection and Importation

In order to understand boa importation you really have to look closely at the culture, politics, and economic demographic of the region the boas are collected in and exported from. Although I couldn’t find a data source for the demographic of people collecting these boas, it is pretty safe to assume the majority of these people rural or indigenous people that function in a river based economy. Boas are gathered throughout the region and taken to the larger cities via the numerous riverine trade routes from deep in the jungles and savannahs. At this first step, the locale identification problem has already begun. Let’s look at Suriname since it is one of my favorite locales, and one of the most popular to hobbyists.

Map I greated in ArcGIS illustrating the Amazon watershed. This basin is made up of 53 sub-basins and has the highest annual flow rate ever recorded. Boas of unknown origin are often labelled as Amazon Basin BCC, when solid locale data cannot be found.

The Suriname river is over 300 miles long flowing from the deep highlands of Sipalawini, through the well known Brokopondo basin, and the the coastal lowlands to Paramaribo. To further complicate things several other river systems connect to the upper Suriname river in the highlands coming from Guyana to the West, and Brazil to the immediate South. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume boas are collected predominantly along the main river systems due to the natural barrier the dense rainforest creates. So what does this do for our sample size? Does this mean that the majority of bcc imported into the United States are from the riparian systems? This system of transportation also allows for boa from several different ecological regions to be massed in the same harvest. Brokering agents usually serve as the link between the indigenous people, and the exporters although there may be several variations of this arrangement. Eventually these boa reach their export point, in this case Paramaribo where they are inspected and documented by local government agents. CITES paperwork is completed and the boas begin the transit to the point of import. Every CITES document I have ever received indicated only the port of export, which really makes me question the value of these documents that are frequently used as selling points in the industry. The quota system further complicates identification by opening up the possibility of brokers transporting boa across national borders to reach countries with open quotas at the time of acquisition. I have trouble believing a brokering agent would just turn his assets loose when the country’s export quota has been exhausted for that year, especially when there may be an open quota next door in a bordering country.

Map showing a 25 mile buffer zone around the major navigable riverine systems of South America. It is probable that most collection takes place adjacent to these systems.

Several countries within South America have very unstable governments funded by narco-terrorism and governed by corruption. I can imagine this corruption permeates the system, eventually aiding in illicit animal trade. The demand for exotic Amazonian species has always been an invitation for smugglers looking for another financial opportunity. Even the boa trade was intimately tied to cocaine trafficking in the 80’s. Honestly, I think I’d give my left hand for a pair of real Brazilian imports if I had access to them via illicit channels or not. I do not, however, support inhumane animal smuggling practices or narcotics trafficking.

Imported BCC allegedly from Pokigron

Now let’s talk about those countries that are closed to export of Boa c constrictor. Imagine what the border would look like in the Northern highlands of Brazil. Topography and vegetative growth make it pretty impossible to have a closed border system like the one people are so used to in the United States. What is in place to impede the harvesting of boa in these closed countries when complex river systems connect them to countries open to export? I have no proof of this but I would bet my house that boa from Eduador, Venezuela, French Guiana, Paraguay, and Brazil make it to Columbia, Guyana, or Suriname eventually being exported as “Suriname or Guyana Boa constrictor constrictor”. Undoudtebly these exporters watch the market demand as well, and falsify documentation to reflect the locale with the highest demand. There really is no way of getting accurate proof of collection aside from having an Indian with a bone in his nose with a boa in one hand and a Trimble unit in the other....LOL

Map of Suriname from the State Department. Notice the two distinct ecoregions: Coastal Lowlands and Southern Highlands.

The industry has been basing it’s standards on this export data for decades, eventually creating false impressions in the minds of herpers regarding the appropriate morphology, coloration, and pattern trends for each locale boa race. I’ve read several scale count descriptions, patterns and color descriptions… etc.. for the determination of boa locales throughout my personal research, but most of them lack the most important part, a true sample from the original population for a reference. Most of these reference boas are again classified based on point of export instead of point of collection. It’s easy to see how flawed this system has become, being based more on subjective determination than quantification and science. Ideally GPS and Geographic Information Sytems (GIS) could aid in clarification of the boa locale race debate. As a scientist and GIS professional I see amazing potential these systems have for tracking and cataloging these boas. If anyone knows of any Grants that may help with a study let me know, and I’d be happy to bring my GIS experience to the table.

Boa ssp Distribution

Thank you for taking the time to hear my views on this subject. This narrative reflects my personal views and in no way is being used to dispute common industry practice.

Some photos taken in Peru courtesy my good friend Joe Messenbaugh

The Best Reptile Tracking Software

HERP LINKS and FRIEND'S PAGES

Forums

Reptile Insider

Breeders and Friends

Cherry Boas - Royston Hunte

Boa constrictors.com - Hermann Stockl

Boas by Klevitz - Larry Micklevitz

VPI Inc. - Dave and Tracy Barker

Deviant Constrictors - Jonathan Brady

Rio Bravo Reptiles

Basically Boas - Mike Weitzman

Cutting Edge Herp - Vin Russo

Miller Reptiles - Barry Miller

Legacy Reptiles - Orlando Diaz DVM

Tom Crutchfield

Caging and Husbandry Supplies

Proline Cages -Ed Lilley

Animal Plastics

The Bean Farm

ShipYourReptiles.com

Allivet - Veterinary Supplies

Reptile Formulary - Dosage Info

CONTACT INFO

Marc Duhon

337-254-0262

kaiyudsai@SURINAMBOAS.com

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments,

or if you just want to talk boas..

The Monthly National Legislation Report

CLICK HERE - to see current legislation @ USARK

NEONATE CARE

I house all neonates in 12-16 Qt tubs, set into a rack system.  I use flex watt heat tape run along the shelves of the rack, keeping the warm side of the enclosure around 88 degrees F.  BCC tend to prefer cooler temps than BCI in my experience, so I keep them a bit cooler. I believe an actual substrate is a necessity, rather than just paper.  I personally use Aspen, because I can get a consistent supply.  I also like Cypress Mulch, but don’t use it because I have trouble getting a consistent product.
I feed neonates a small frozen / thawed prey item every 7 – 10 days.  I mist cages down once every other day to keep humidity up in the 60- 80 % range.   I maintain this schedule until the snake reaches 1 year of age.  I place yearlings in a larger tub, and begin exposing them to nighttime drops in temperature averaging 10 -15 degrees for 12 hours at night.  I really believe this temperature change develops a base internal rhythm, especially when combined with photoperiod changes.    I use natural changes in the photoperiod in my region to trip my supplemental lighting system using a sensor.  These changes offer the boas seasonal cues.   I reduce feeding of yearlings to one medium sized prey item every 12 -14 days.  I further reduce feeding when boas reach about 5 feet to once large prey item every 2.5 -3 weeks. I highly suggest the book The Complete Boa Constrictor by Vin Russo for herpers new to boa constrictors. It has a comprehensive approach to boa husbandry and covers all accepted races of boa.  

Neonate and Juvenile Stacks. I use clear rigid Polycarbonate tubs designed for foodservice

in my Juvenile Rack(left).

THE OLD DAYS

For decades the only BCC available were imported boas, that frequently regurgitated and died rather gruesomely. With the increased popularity in this species, several breeders are producing high quality captive bred BCC. I highly suggest starting with a Captive Bred boa. I believe importation is great for adding diversity to a breeding population, but should only be attempted by an experienced herper. I suggest a 3 month quarantine period for both Captive Bred and Imported specimens. I have seen entire collections wiped out by a lapse in quarantine protocol. Please don't slip up and fall victim to a stray bug. It could be devastating.

CAGING

I personally use both Proline and Animal Plastics cages for adults. I prefer cages with and 18" to 2 foot cage height to provide space for a large climbing structure. Boas up to 8 feet do fine in a 4-6 foot cage, while the rare larger animals get an 8 foot cage. For the most part only the largest of females will exceed 8 feet, making BCC a very manageable species. I prefer using Radiant heat panels for my adult cages. They seem to heat more efficiently, and reduced my electricity usage by 50 % over UTH Flex Watt heat tape.

Adult Cages, consist of Proline and Custom built cages. I have a very large 8 x 3 x15" cage on the bottom from the old retic days. Four foot cages can be easily modified to be converted to 8 foot caging.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE

BCC are highly arboreal, and I offer a climbing structure when cage size permits.  I am currently in the process of creating larger caging to provide these structures to all of my boas.  I placed my large Sargent female in a large cage with a climbing structure, and this boa constantly climbs and perches on the branches.  I observed a noticeable change in body mass and musculature.   I truly believe that these animals can benefit from exercise just as we do.   This particular boa is twice as strong as other boas twice her size, and not offered climbing structures. 

The top cage is the new style of caging I am planning on going to. These cages, produced by Ed Lilley at Proline are taller, and can be purchased with this optional background. I keep my Sargent female in this enclosure. She has really gotten ripped since being provided ample climbing structures. I use sun cured Cypress limbs bolted to the outer cage wall.

MY THOUGHTS ON BREEDING

 I don’t cool boas during any particular season for breeding purposes.  I really can’t justify that kind of risk for the purpose of breeding.  I also feed very small meals throughout the courting process.  Breeding always puts your boas at risk, so I only practice highly selective breeding.  I don’t believe in breeding just to breed, but rather breeding with a specific goal in mind, planning the best pairings possible.  There are a great deal of boas being bred each year so pairings need produce amazing boas to stand out amongst the masses.  The BCC community is really great about creating an environment that only accepts quality and genetically sound boas.   This community is a great source of information, and I have met many great friends in my boa related endeavors.   Please see my LINKS page for my friend’s sites.

I personally am only interested in breeding wild phenotype boas, but I have to admit after seeing some friend's morph projects I really have found a new appreciation for them. I say "just say no to morphs" in jest, but I do appreciate the art that can be developed through selective breeding. They just aren't my cup o'tea. I don't believe in hybridization and creating genetic junk though and find projects like BurmeseXBall pythons appalling.

RECORD KEEPING/ DATA TRACKING

Record Keeping is an essential part of any reptile husbandry program. Aside from having the ability to remind yourself of the normal tasks necessary to properly care for several reptiles, data collected over the years can assist you in identifying trends, ideal breeding scenarios, optimum conditions, and profitability. Although Reptile data tracking completely necessary for the success of any breeding program, it can be very helpful to any hobbyist.

I used to use the old school method with tons of 3X5 index cards, but I got caught up with the times a few years ago and started using a computer to process all of my data. A few database programs were developed a few years back that were adequate, but very difficult for the user. Finally a developer answered the call and VYPER was born. This product is amazing! No more archaic database consoles here. The user interface has a simple and intelligent design that flows rather well. This program is fully customizable, allowing the user to tailor their software to match the needs of their project and species. It handles all aspects of husbandry, including financial, inventory, breeding, feeding, health, cage cards, animal photos, and much much more. Try it out for yourself. Click below to purchase VYPER!

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