The Boidae, commonly known as boas or boids, are a family of nonvenomous snakes primarily found in the Americas, as well as Africa, Europe, Asia, and some Pacific islands. Boas include some of the world's largest snakes, with the green anaconda of South America being the heaviest and second-longest snake known; in general, adults are medium to large in size, with females usually larger than the males. Six subfamilies comprising 15 genera and 54 species are currently recognized.
Boa is a genus of boas found in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Five extant species, and one extinct, are currently recognized.
The Aniliidae are a monotypic family created for the monotypic genus Anilius that contains the single species Anilius scytale. Common names include the American pipe snake and false coral snake. It is found in South America. This snake possesses a vestigial pelvic girdle that is visible as a pair of cloacal spurs. It is ovoviviparous. It is non-venomous, and its diet consists mainly of amphibians and other reptiles. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Loxocemus bicolor, the sole member of the monotypic family Loxocemidae and commonly known as the Mexican python, Mexican burrowing python and Mexican burrowing snake, is a species of python-like snake found in Mexico and Central America. No subspecies are currently recognized. Analyses of DNA show that Loxocemus is most closely related to the true pythons and the sunbeam snakes.
Xenopeltis, the sunbeam snakes, are the sole genus of the monotypic family Xenopeltidae, the species of which are found in Southeast Asia. Sunbeam snakes are known for their highly iridescent scales. Three species are recognized, each one with no subspecies. Studies of DNA suggest that the xenopeltids are most closely related to the Mexican burrowing python and to the true pythons (Pythonidae).
The green tree python, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to New Guinea, some islands in Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. First described by Hermann Schlegel in 1872, it was known for many years as Chondropython viridis. As its common name suggests, it is a bright green snake that can reach a total length of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb), with females slightly larger and heavier than males. Living generally in trees, the green tree python mainly hunts and eats small reptiles and mammals. It is a popular pet, and numbers in the wild have suffered with large-scale smuggling of wild-caught green tree pythons in Indonesia. Despite this, the green tree python is rated as least concern on the IUCN Red List of endangered species.
The emerald tree boa is a boa species found in the rainforests of South America. Since 2009 the species Corallus batesii has been distinguished from the emerald tree boa. Like all other boas, it is nonvenomous.
Corallus hortulana, previously known as Corallus hortulanus, and commonly known as the Amazon tree boa, common tree boa, garden tree boa, and macabrel, is a boa species found in South America. Previously, there were two recognized subspecies, Corallus hortulanus hortulanus, and Corallus hortulanus cooki, though the species has undergone taxonomic revision and has been broken up into several species. It is primarily nocturnal and arboreal, though it has been observed feeding and reproducing on the ground. Like all boas, it is non-venomous.
The Tropidophiidae, common name dwarf boas or thunder snakes, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found from Mexico and the West Indies south to southeastern Brazil. These are small to medium-sized fossorial snakes, some with beautiful and striking color patterns. Currently, two living genera, containing 34 species, are recognized. Two other genera were once considered to be tropidophiids but are now known to be more closely related to the boids, and are classified in the subfamily Ungaliophiinae. There are a relatively large number of fossil snakes that have been described as tropidophiids, but which of these are more closely related to Tropidophis and Trachyboa and which are more closely related to Ungaliophis and Exiliboa is unknown.
Eryx is a genus of nonvenomous snakes, commonly known as Old World sand boas, in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. Species of the genus are found in southeastern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia. Thirteen species are recognized as being valid.
The Boinae are a purported subfamily of boas found in Central and South America, as well as the West Indies. In the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), Boinae is considered an invalid synonym of Boidae.
Tropidophis, common name Caribbean dwarf boas, wood snakes or West Indian wood snakes, is a genus of dwarf boas endemic to the West Indies and South America. Currently, either 17 or 33 species are recognized, depending on the authority.
Corallus cropanii, or Cropani's tree boa, is a species of boa, a snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Like all boas, it is not venomous. No subspecies are currently recognized. Until 2017, no specimen of this snake had been seen alive since 1953 and only five dead specimens had been collected since then, but in late January 2017, an adult female Cropan's tree boa measuring 1.7 m was captured by locals in Ribeira who brought it to herpetologists from the Instituto Butantan and the Museum of Zoology of the University of São Paulo, who radio-tagged and released the animal to learn more about the species' behavior.
Corallus cookii, also known as Cook's tree boa or Cooke's tree boa, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. There are no recognized subspecies.
Corallus ruschenbergerii, commonly known as the Central American tree boa, common tree boa, and Trinidad tree boa, is a boa species found in lower Central America and northern South America. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all boas, it is not venomous.
Corallus blombergi, the Ecuadorian annulated tree boa, is a boa species found in Pacific Ecuador.
Chilabothrus, commonly known as the Greater Antillean boas or West Indian boas, is a genus of nonvenomous snakes the family Boidae. The genus is endemic to the West Indies. 12 or 14 species are recognized as being valid.
Corallus annulatus, known as the ringed tree boa, annulated tree boa, and northern annulated tree boa, is a boa species found in Central and South America. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. Like all boas, it is a non-venomous constrictor.
Corallus batesii, also known commonly as the Amazon Basin emerald tree boa, is a species of snake in the subfamily Boinae of the family Boidae. The species is native to the tropical rainforests of South America. This species was revalidated from the synonymy of Corallus caninus by Henderson and colleagues in 2009.
