The author with a Boa c. constrictor caught in Ecuador, 50 miles northern to the Peruvian border

It’s obvious that the subspecific recognition of most boas is in poor state due the lack of information in the past.
Especially when it comes to Boas from Ecuador & Peru.

Copes description of Boa ortonii ( 1878 ) was a very vague description in that it really didn’t go into much detail as to what the snakes looked like and it was also vague in its locality specifications. ( Piura South to la Libertad on the west coast of Peru )

On a recent trip to Ecuador I found some interesting information about Ecuadorian Boa c. imperator,
Boa c. longicauda of Tumbes Peru, a new Ecuadorian Boa & Peruvian Red Tail Boas ( Ortonii ? )

Our description of Boa c.longicauda done back in 1991 was a lengthy challenge to compile all the information necessary to prove the subspecific recognition of this Peruvian Boa. We also could not go to Tumbes Peru due to a border dispute between Ecuador & Peru that goes on till this day. Our biggest challenge was to find out the difference between this new boa ( longicauda ) and the older description of ortonii. Assuming acceptance of the validity of ortonii, only the province of Tumbes lies outside its range on the northwest coastline of Peru. Tumbes is literally a peninsular of land that extends north into Ecuador. So it is surrounded by Ecuador with the exception of the southwestern part. So the question we ask is “ why couldn’t Boa c. longicauda’s range extend into Ecuador ? “

While talking to Dennis Sargent at the 2000 Daytona National Reptile Breeders Expo, it was brought to my attention that longicauda’s range may extend into Ecuador. He showed me a book called Serpientes de Ecuador by Santos & Moreno. It had a picture of what we refer to as longicauda, it referred to its range as being the states of Guayas & Manabi.

So therefore I embarked on a Journey to the country in question, Ecuador. I learned a valuable lesson while on a trip to the Cape York Peninsular, Australia. I had spent 2 weeks looking for pythons in the jungle and found nothing. It wasn’t till I found a guide that was interested in snakes that I did find them.

Ecuador is no different. I immediately started talking to people and letting them know of my interest in Boas. I was fortunate enough to find a guide that was very interested in snakes and told me he knew where we could see some Boas.

My trip started on the East side of Andes Mountains in search of Red Tailed Boas Boa c. constrictor, near a town called Wayusentsa. It was a 2.5 hour South East trip by plane ( 12 seater ) from Quito, Ecuador. Then we took a 1.5 hour river trip by canoe. Our final stop was the Kapawi lodge. An Eco lodge in the rainforest that caters to naturalist, birdwatchers and people that just want to see the true untouched wilderness.

The following morning my wife and I met up with our guide and an Achuar Indian guide. The Achuar guide was the only native I met that was not afraid of snakes. Most natives in this area would kill snakes when they saw them. They also would not go in the river because of fear of Anacondas. My guide had seen a large Bushmaster the day before I arrived, but it was killed by the natives. He was frustrated that he couldn’t get through to the people and let them know that killing these snakes was not good for the eco system.

We then proceeded via canoe South down the Pastaza River. We were around 50 miles north of the Peru border . This trip was no different from any of my other Jungles trips. We spent many days in search of Boas and found only one. In such a vast place these snakes can be anywhere, 30 meters up in a tree or burrowed deep in a hollow root. Our guide introduced us to A very unique Achuar that had a few pets. One was a beautiful Boa.

Pet Boa c. constrictor of the Achuar indian

The location was a peninsular of land created by the intersection of the Capahuari River and the Pastaza River. The boa was collected on this property. This boa was very similar to what people are calling Iquitos Peruvian Red Tailed Boa or Boa c. ortonii.

It has 19 dark dorsal saddles and that yellow/brown background color. Obviously it could not have been ortonii since Copes description describes ortonii as a snake from the West side of the Andes.

This snake was obviously a constrictor constrictor ( East of the Andes ). But was Copes original specimen moved from one part of the country to the other ? Or was Copes ortonii the boa that some breeders are calling Black Peruvian Red Tails ?

We know he was not referring to Boa c. longicauda because of Scale counts that do not match up from his original description of ortonii. I also tend to think that snakes from the north west coast of Peru would tend to be very dark boas. We also know that constrictor comes from the East of the Andes and imperator from the west.