Ok, my brother-in-law was over yesterday, he has been raising snakes for 20+ years. He came to see Cece (our most recent adoption). He said she was a boa due to her patterns and colors, but he didn’t think she was a common or an red tail boa because of her size (weight 23#) and body type (quite thick through the middle). He though that maybe she was a cross. Ok here is the stupid part… any type of boa can breed with any other boa? I guess you wouldn’t be crossing species, just types within a species like breeding a long hair cat to a shorthaired cat. Am I right in understanding this? Any ideas what she might be? All I can say is when she gets her mind set on something; it isn’t easy to change, like when she wanted to climb in the Christmas tree on Christmas. I got to experience the wide mouth toothy grin. LOL

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Colleen

Yes Colleen boas can hybridize. There is some heated attitudes about doing this particularly with species like the Hogg Islands which are beleived to be going extinct or are extinct in the wild. But that is another topic.
However I am not quite sure where he is going with his comments about weight and thickness. All that would infer is that she is well fed, or possibly even gravid. It would not make a species identification.
We have a pair of common boas at our local zoo that are quite the little porkers!
And based on the pictures you posted earlier she looks quite normal to me.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Yes there are alot of hybrids out there. Bateaters, even seen a ball x burm, i hope it didnt take, uh some carpet python are crosses, some corn x jungle. Its weird and mean to see some. Last I seen yours was a common boa though.

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Yea you can def. intermix them, not sure how good it is but, i know like said below that there is jcpx corn I have seen lotz of mixes between alot of different ones, it's soo weird!!

You cant just intermix anything...only corn hybrid I know of is a jungle corn...Hybrids from what I understand is a mule. cant reproduce, i know thats been argured too. Oh well.

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So what I have is a big fat common...LOL I hope she isn't gravid, but I think she would have done this by now she is 10. I'm not even positive she is a she, I'm just going by what the previous owner said the pet store told him.... I guess the next trip to the vet, I'll have her/him probed.

Ok next question now that she is eating again, I'm planning of feeding her f/t extra large rats (recommended by the vet). The previous owner feed her once very other week, should I continue this practice or feed weekly?

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Colleen

Id feed every week really. If she was feed everyother week that second week she maybe a bit testy on handling and may snap at you. Ive noticed this with loki, my retic. Feed every week wont hurt her, especially if she was just sick the extra food will help her. You may look into rabbits too, A 2 or 3 pounder will do her well, if I remeber her size right. Or a GP.

I think feeding every week you should be fine

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Compare the meals size to the size of the snake at its widest part. If they are about the same size I would go every week. If the prey is a bit larger you could go every 10-14 days. When I moved my guys up to the bigger rats they were still showing bulges at 3-4 days and were not even interested at 7 days.Yes but retics just LOOK for an excuse to be testy!
There is no such thing as a Jungle Carpet Python x corn. Can't happen. You can't cross a cornsnake with a python! I suspect you meant a jungle corn which is a hybrid of a cornsnake and a kingsnake.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Ya your right on that. merlin hehe

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Ok I have been feeding the last of the medium and large rats from my last order. I usually feed two rats at a time and you can't tell she has eaten anything. I'm hope the ExLarge rats will make a difference because I'll have to wait until the next order to get some rabbits.

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Colleen