Jungle Boa Constrictors
The saddles of a Jungle boa have thick black edges and a clean, creamy back. These edges might stay close to normal or join into chains and can also break. Since the pattern varies so much, the two-tone back and head markings tell you as much as the saddles do.
- Super Jungle — linked to a metabolic condition - loss of muscle tone, poor digestion and a heavily shortened life
- Jungle — do not pair with another Jungle. Offspring of that pairing carry a hereditary defect and cannot be sold here.
About the Jungle gene
Jungle is a boa constrictor gene that changes both colour and pattern. One copy of this gene makes the background cleaner and turns the saddles into black outlines. These shapes vary between individuals, as some Jungles appear nearly normal while others show stripes or chain links. This gene is also one of the genes behind the Junglow.
Appearance
The Jungle morph features a very clean background and thick black borders around the dorsal saddles. These saddles are often rounded instead of pointed and frequently contain holes. On an animal with a high-expression, they join into stripes or chain links to break up the pattern. Because a low-expression Jungle can pass for a normal boa, do not expect an aberrant pattern on every one. A two-tone effect occurs because the back looks creamier and cleaner than the sides. Where the sides meet the dorsal colour, they often show a line of freckles and blushing. Look for pinkish eyes, markings like eyebrows above the eyes, and bold markings in front of the eyes on the head. A break through or holes in the spearhead are also signs on the head. The body's colour and pattern are carried by the tail. The Super Jungle is even cleaner with a light creamy background, reduced and interconnected saddles, and pastel-looking sides that have patches of pink.
Genetics
Jungle is incomplete dominant. A visual Jungle comes from one copy, while two copies create the Super Jungle, which looks different from an animal with only one copy. Many sellers and older write-ups still call it "co-dominant", which is just a looser name for the same thing. Because a single copy always shows, there are no hets to track. The family has two forms, Jungle and Super Jungle, and it sits in no known complex. The Junglow (Hypo, Jungle and Albino) is the best-known combo. It was made with Sharp albinos, VPI and Kahl albinos alike. Peter Kahl Reptiles got the line in the early 1990s. It began in Sweden where Lars Brandle bred a normal boa to a large, zigzag-patterned boa bought from a Swedish zoo.
Known issues
The issue sits with the two-copy Super Jungle, not the single-copy Jungle. The Super Jungle is linked to a metabolic condition - loss of muscle tone, poor digestion and a heavily shortened life. These animals often die young, and most that reach adulthood are infertile. Severity varies between individuals - please research the morph and ask the seller about this specific animal before buying. Because the Super Jungle is on the REPTA Deleterious Gene Policy list, BaskMarket withdraws and refuses any listing carrying it. To avoid making a Super Jungle, do not pair a Jungle with another Jungle. You should read the breeding guidance on the listing before you plan one.