Bolivian Boa Breeding

[Bentley]

I am intending to breed Boas in Bolivia.
In breeding them I seek to help in thier conservation, as thier population has been greatly decreased in the last decade do to clearing of land, hunting, and other various factors.
This is the first year im am atempting breeding and it all seems to be going good so far... most of my animals are at different stages of the breeding process since we are (Santa Cruz - Bolivia) in the last month of "winter".

I would like to thank Jeff Ronne SR for the detailed information he gives in his breeding chapter since it has been of great help in this proyect and to everyone who posts helpfull information on boa care.

I have observed, in some boas, most of the different stages of breeding: coutship, pre-ovulation swell, copulation, ovulation (two separate ones), male loses inerest, female turns darker, then blue....

My specific question is: after the swelling of ovulation and when the female begins to turn darker. Is it normal for the swelling to desappear?should she remain with the swell? or will the swelling come back gradually as the embryos develop and grow?

any extra hints on breeding bolivian boas will be greatly apreciated.

[Boa Amarali]

I only have experience with breeding Colombian type Boas,I believe Boas are Boas though
You will first often see a pre ovulation swelling. This is the fem preparing follicles to release ovum inside her mid body swelling.
Then you often see the Huge Ovulation when she releases the Ova passing them down the ova ducts.
This Large Ovulation swelling usually subsides goes down with in a 12 hour or so period but sometimes last longer.
Once this large ovulation swell has subsided the male will tend to loose interest.
At the same time the fem has a fuller somewhat flat tire look in the last half of her body.
This usually moves a little and settles toward the last third of her body
Making her look rather full in back third of her body with that kind of flat tire look.
As embryos develop she can become fuller looking toward the last 6-8 weeks before parturition
I'm sure you know that you count 123 days from the ovulation to reach your due date.
Also it should be about 16-18-20 days from ovulation to her Post Ovulation shed "POS"
Count 105 days forward from shed date , that is another Due date to mark down.
If all has goine just ight Ovulation and POS due date will match up and
that will be the day babies are born

How many pair of Bolivian are you trying to breed this season ?

Hope Jeff Ronne will take notice and add his expertise in the breeding of Bolivian Boas for you here.
He in fact has a Bolivian fem due this season

Good luck with your breedings
I hope all goes well

[Boa Amarali]

Talking about Bolivian Deforestation
I was just reading about the Deforestation taking place in the Bolivian Amazon basin.
As well as looking at Satelite photographs of this deforestation,its a shame.



shows the early stage of deforestation in the Amazon


One of the most active programs for converting rain forests to cultivated
land persists within the State of Rondonia in the southwestern Amazon

Bolivian Satellite photo showing extreme deforestation


The rectangular forest stripping pattern is common. Another pattern, which
could be called stellate, involves deforestation outward from a common center area this is in eastern Bolivia imagery,

[Bentley]

Thanks a lot for the info boa amarali !!

I have 5 females and 6 males.
*One female has ovulated and is in her POS cycle.
*another is being courted and I have observed copulation once a few days ago.
*another has just began being courted today... I have two more to go!

I'm planning to grow the offspring to a full meter long, and then release them into the wild again. I'll propably keep some to enlarge my stock...

thanks again and good luck to you too!

[Boa Amarali]

Since you are from around Sant Cruz. Making and giving them a
head start before beleasing seems like a great idea.
I hope you have alot of success !

[Bentley]

Here are some pics of the first pair which I think completed the breeding process. I think the female should be gravid... but I´m no expert. please let me know what your opinions are.
here they are courting and preovulation swell.


here is copulation


and here she is in what seems like the Heat Conservation Position, this is after a large swelling that was imediately followed by what I think was a POS cycle which lasted about 2 weeks and she finally shed 3 days ago. this female is small (just over 5 ft.) but she is 16 years old.

[Boa Amarali]

Certainly looks like classic HCP to me.
What's your due dates based on Ovulation and POS ?

Keep us updated on these, I love it !

[Bentley]

her ovulation was´nt all that clear. she had a pretty good swell on june 20 and then looked swollen again on june 27-28. her POS was on july 12, so that would make the due date october 25 if my calculations are correct.

here is another pair in which I have observed about 1 month of courtship and 2 copulations (june 27 and july 6) she is a large female of 8 ft. so I cant really tell if this is preov. swell... thanks again!!

[dangles]

wow... not a breeder myself, but i commend your efforts! those pictures lar posted are so sad! jungles are too beautiful to be torn down. deforestation makes me sad.

[Boa Amarali]

Originally Posted by Bentley

her ovulation was´nt all that clear. she had a pretty good swell on june 20 and then looked swollen again on june 27-28. her POS was on july 12, so that would make the due date october 25 if my calculations are correct.

here is another pair in which I have observed about 1 month of courtship and 2 copulations (june 27 and july 6) she is a large female of 8 ft. so I cant really tell if this is preov. swell... thanks again!!
Attachment 7930

That sounds about right to me off the top of my head without counting. The other pair pictured is interesting to me. Both examples of true Bolivian Boas.They are both complete circle back patterns with no peaks. Here in the US people would see Bolivian Boas such as these offered forsale .They would probably question if they were real,because in the US people have been conditioned to believe all Bolivian Boas have great peaks throughout most of the pattern. Bolivian Boas don't get anymore real than these Boas collected from the Bolivian Jungle areas.
Thanks for the pics again its exciting to see !