Mark57
Boa57
Greetings, Can someone please tell me the current Scientific name of the Morongo Valley Rosy Rosy Boa? Also, are they considered "Coastal Rosy Boas"? What other localities are grouped together with Morongos? Thanks!
Current Scientific Name-Morongo Rosy
- Thread starter Mark57
- Start date
elena
Well-known member
Mongongos are coastaL I'm not sure what the current nomenclature is. I made a post a while back asking for links to info about current rosy boa nomenclature, but no one responded and I haven't been able to figure it out with google.
I am by no means an authority of rosy boas.
Here's a link explaining what box current science is putting the entire species in.
Lichanura orcutti (Northern three lined boa)
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/l.orcutti.html
If you have to register permits with CA Fish and Wildlife they are still referring to them as rosy's
Coastal (roseofusca) and Desert (gracia)
It seems that most hobbyists aren't accepting orcutti.
As for Morongo valley if you look on a map it is near the San Gorgonio pass which is a rough dividing line between Desert and Coastal species and generally considered an inter-grade zone.
The boas i have seen in that area (which has uninterrupted gene flow for many miles in most directions) have been quite variable. Most have a coastal pattern to them, some have clean desert lines others have secondary striping, some are orange, some are brown. Another example would be to look up the variability of close neighbor localities, Long Canyon, Pioneertown, Whitewater Canyon, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Twenty nine Palms ect.
Seeing boas in that area is always a treat, you never know what you'll see.
In my unqualified opinion i would consider a Morongo an inter-grade boa.
Here's a link explaining what box current science is putting the entire species in.
Lichanura orcutti (Northern three lined boa)
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/l.orcutti.html
If you have to register permits with CA Fish and Wildlife they are still referring to them as rosy's
Coastal (roseofusca) and Desert (gracia)
It seems that most hobbyists aren't accepting orcutti.
As for Morongo valley if you look on a map it is near the San Gorgonio pass which is a rough dividing line between Desert and Coastal species and generally considered an inter-grade zone.
The boas i have seen in that area (which has uninterrupted gene flow for many miles in most directions) have been quite variable. Most have a coastal pattern to them, some have clean desert lines others have secondary striping, some are orange, some are brown. Another example would be to look up the variability of close neighbor localities, Long Canyon, Pioneertown, Whitewater Canyon, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Twenty nine Palms ect.
Seeing boas in that area is always a treat, you never know what you'll see.
In my unqualified opinion i would consider a Morongo an inter-grade boa.
hotlips
New member
I'm from that area of So Cal & always considered those to be inter-grade rosy boas as well.
I've personally seen all those variations you mentioned and I'm glad I saw this thread, as I wasn't aware of the new designation (L. orcutti). It's been some years now, but when I lived there, I also ended up breeding rosy boas (with F & G permit), because a snake I took in as an unwanted LTC (long term captive) "insisted on reproducing" (long story). I still have one rosy boa from that line, I'll go & correct her "bio" card. She (& the others I bred) were all listed as "gracia".
I've personally seen all those variations you mentioned and I'm glad I saw this thread, as I wasn't aware of the new designation (L. orcutti). It's been some years now, but when I lived there, I also ended up breeding rosy boas (with F & G permit), because a snake I took in as an unwanted LTC (long term captive) "insisted on reproducing" (long story). I still have one rosy boa from that line, I'll go & correct her "bio" card. She (& the others I bred) were all listed as "gracia".