albino coastal boa found !

Just thought I would share this unbelievably lucky story with you all.
A few weeks ago I was standing on my brothers front porch talking to him by cell phone watching the sun-set. After hanging up the sky was near dark. I thought to myself this feels like good boa weather. So I jumped into my car and headed for the local hills. After driving about 3 miles I headed up a steep hill that had many cars coming down. I didn't want to search this road so I turned off the first available road. I quickly slowed down and watched the shoulder. I drove a few hundred yards when something caught my eye on the shoulder. It didn't look right. I started to pull forward when I noticed it move. I got out walked over to it and looked down. I could see the outline of a junvenile boa with it's head going into a small bush. I reached down and picked it up. I looked at it under the headlights and thought that it was extremely light. I quickly got into my car and turned on the dome light. What I was seeing couldn't be real. I knew what I was looking at but I was afraid this was going to be a dream. I saw it flick it's pink tongue out. So I put the snake away and drove up the road in shock. Approximately 50 yards up the road I saw a large boa cruising the shoulder. I got out and picked him up. I was to elated to see this guy because he was the dark coastal color and confirmed for me that the juvenile was indeed an albino. I drove for just a little while longer before I couldn't take it anymore. I drove back to my brothers and showed him the incredible find. My firs Riverside boa ever and it's an albino.

Wow, that's awesome! You've got to post some pics!

-Alice

I would like to discuss the details about this animal in a little more detail, and I would like to document the finding on my website if that is ok with you. Do you have any more pics of it? Please feel free to e-mail me at pch101@cox.net, and if you would like to talk on the phone, I can send you my # then. I look forward to hearing from you!

Ya I would like to hear more about this as well. You can reach me at bluerosy@comcast.net or you can post pictures and other info here.

I'm proud to say that this is my best friend that found the albino. You've come a long way since our first Steens trip.

I miss you buddy.

Any update on this find?

"Any update on this find?"

Good Question.

yea, i want to see this snake, and you holding it! because i could have found a snow rosy going up my street(i live where they are native to hehe) but without a pic to prove it then it really didnt happen..... i sure wish i would find a snow. i would be very very happy...

"yea, i want to see this snake, and you holding it! because i could have found a snow rosy going up my street(i live where they are native to hehe) but without a pic to prove it then it really didnt happen..... i sure wish i would find a snow. i would be very very happy..."

Even if he does post a pic with him holding this snake, all it proves is that he is holding an albino snake. It does not prove he found it in the wild, or that he even owns it. I can post a pic of me with holding a snow rosy out at Whitewater, but it really does not prove anything beyond what you see in the picture.

I will say that I have very trustworthy friends that have seen the snake in person, and I have see pics, but I am still not convinced, as no one was actually there when he found it, and there is no way to verify it. Also, Rob just came out of nowhere. No one knows this guy from before this "find', but he apparently is an avid field collector, and he has supposedly been doing some hard core field collecting for many years. Of this I have no doubt, but I do doubt this story, and one of the main reasons is his total reluctance to answer any questions about this find, and his avoidance of my e-mails and phone calls. I am not that scary of a guy, but if this did not happen, I will find out.

One other thing that casts major doubt here is the fact that this snake looks to me like a Whitewater amel that has been plugged into a coastal rosy boa. It has normal eyes like the typical Whitewater amel. The "other" Coastal Boas, found not far from where he claims to have found his, are totally different looking Boas with bright red orange heavy patterns with red eyes. To me it looks like the Whitewater amel gene is responsible for this snakes pigmentation (or lack of it). Initially, I was going to document this find on my website, but I have changed my mind. I pulled what little info that I had, as I will not be a party to pulling some kind of hoax on the herp community. My gut tells me that this whole thing is just way to fishy, and I trust my gut.

Here are some pics of the actual specimen that were sent to me by from someone else that he sent them to, followed by a couple pics of a Whitewater amel that I have that looks similar but actually brighter.

thats very tru, finding any albino is the wild is very slim chance as it is... but right on the side of the road in the hills??? thats gotta be like a 1/100000000000000000 chance


nice looking rosy's you posted