The brown rainbow boa calls the Central American and South American jungles and rainforests their home. They are a nonvenomous constrictor that faces the ongoing threat of widespread deforestation and agricultural expansion that clears out the humid forests and coastal clearings these snakes rely on to live. These snakes are sometimes killed due to being mistaken for venomous species of snakes. High demand for these constrictors in the international exotic pet market leads to wild collection, placing a fair amount of pressure on local populations. Climate change causes pressures on their ecosystems and thse disruptions also impact local survival. Despite these strains, they are abundant enough to be listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Their population trend is listed as stable as well.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Epicrates maurus
Weight: Up to 5 lbs.
Length: Up to 6 feet
Lifespan: Up to 20+ years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) These boas are both terrestrial (spend their lives on the ground) and arboreal (spend their lives in trees).
2.) They are nocturnal (active at night).
3.) Rainbow boas are sought after for the attractive iridescent sheen on their scales in the sunlight.
4.) They prefer humid tropical and subtropical habitats, including rainforests, riverbanks, as well as drier coastal clearings or savannas.
5.) Like most boas, they have evolved heat-sensing pits on their faces that provides them with the ability to detect the body heat of their warm-blooded prey.
But wait, there’s more on the brown rainbow boa!
6.) Birds, mice, rats, and lizards are all on the menu.
7.) Females undergo up to a 3 month gestation (pregnancy) that yields up to 35 snakelets!
Did you know…?
The females are capable of reproducing by facultative parthenogenesis, resulting in production of WW female progeny. This means that a female snake can give birth to live female young without the aid of a male’s fertilization.
8.) Boas are polygynous as well as ovoviviparous, this means that males mate with numerous females and the females give birth to live young rather than laying eggs.
9.) In January, 2015, a 6-foot long individual slid out of a toilet in an office restroom in downtown San Diego, California; it was uncertain as to who may have owned the snake.
10.) Among the beliefs of the Muisca people, the rainbow was personified as the deity Cuchavira, who appeared after floods to restore balance and fertility to the land.
Now a Short Brown Rainbow Boa Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
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