After some experimentation with a variety of different populations of Rosy Boas, we've settled on several of the Desert forms as our favorites.  In particular, we prefer the various Arizona localities, along with a few selected California locales from the lower deserts east of Palm Springs.  Taxonomy in these boas remains something of a muddled mess - certainly there are characteristics which separate the higher elevation Arizona boas from the lower desert boas from southwestern Arizona and southeastern California.  Regardless of their taxonomic status, however, each locality presents some unique variation all their own.  Click on the thumbnails below for larger images.

Harquahala Mts ("Arizona Chocolate") - these boas represent the southernmost known population of Arizona "highland" boas, and are one of the most distinctive.  In the wild, adults have chocolate stripes on a beige or grayish ground color, with older adults having the chocolate-brown color faded and washed out.  These are among the larger rosy boas, with only some Coastal Boas reaching greater lengths.  As neonates, these are born ready and eager to feed on live mice.

Offspring are $75 each, or $150 per pair


(photo as subadult)


Hualupai Mts - ("Wikieup" or "Chicken Springs") - these are one of the northernmost populations of Arizona Highland boas, and are noted for their extremely clean stripes, often of a dark coloration.  There is some variation within the population, with some stripes ranging from a dark reddish to a very dark brown.  The ground color is typically grayish.

Offspring are $75 each, or $150 per pair; exceptional specimens may be more




Dome Rock Mts - this is a low-elevation desert form from extreme western Arizona along Interstate 10.  This population is somewhat variable in color, with stripes ranging from orangish to brown while the ground color is usually a light gray or buff color.  Dome Rock boas become sexually mature at about 24" (as opposed to 30" or more in "highland" forms).  Our female is a consistent producer, and the neonates feed readily on live pinky mice.

Offspring are $50 each, or $100 per pair



Long Canyon - these boas are representative of lower elevation populations found to the North and East of Palm Springs.  This particular canyon is right at the edge of the intergradation zone between Coastal boas and desert boas, and boas from this population show dorsal stripes with irregular borders similar to the pattern seen in Coastal boas, although not as extreme.  Like a desert boa, they also lack the spotting between stripes, and their coloration is pure low desert - a light bluish ground color and with pale to bright orange stripes.

Offspring are $50 each, or $100 per pair