Desert rosy boa

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Desert rosy boa
Lichanura t. trivirgata.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Boidae
Genus: Lichanura
Species:
L. trivirgata
Binomial name
Lichanura trivirgata
Cope, 1861
Synonyms [2] [3]
  • Lichanura trivirgata
    Cope, 1861
  • Lichanura roseofusca
    Cope, 1868
  • Lichanura myriolepis
    Cope, 1868
  • Charina trivirgata
    Kluge, 1993
  • Lichanura trivirgata
    Liner, 1994
  • Charina trivirgata
    McDiarmid  [ fr ], Campbell & Touré, 1999
  • Lichanura trivirgata
    Crother, 2000
  • Lichanura trivirgata
    Wallach et al., 2014

The desert rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata) is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The desert rosy boa is native to the American Southwest and Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. The desert rosy boa is one of four species in the boa family native to the continental United States, the other three being the coastal rosy boa ( Lichanura orcutti ) and the two species of rubber boas ( Charina ).

Contents

Taxonomy

Edward Drinker Cope described the species in 1861. The specific epithet trivirgata refers to the distinct three stripes characteristic of the species. Some researchers have placed the species in the genus Charina with the rubber boas (see Synonyms). Newer phylogenetic research supports the original arrangement, but herpetologists still do not agree on rosy boa taxonomy. The subspecific designations are just as uncertain, with many authorities not accepting L. t. arizonae or L. t. saslowi, and others not recognizing any of the subspecies as being valid.

Subspecies

Four subspecies at the most are recognized:

Description

Considered a small snake, the desert rosy boa normally attains a total length (including tail) of 43–112 cm (17–44 in). Exact length varies by subspecies. Desert rosy boas are one of the smaller members of the family Boidae. [4] A large adult has a body width about the diameter of a golf ball. Coloration of the desert rosy boa is highly variable, and usually locale-specific. Some individuals display a rosy or salmon coloration that is common on their underside; most rosy boa specimens do not have this ventral coloration, but instead have a series of dark to orange spots on a light-colored background.

Almost all specimens of the desert rosy boa have at least some trace of three longitudinal stripes, one down the center of the back, and two on the lower sides. The appearance of these stripes varies widely, from extremely straight and having high contrast with the interspaces, to extremely broken with almost no contrast with the interspaces. Stripe colors can be orange, maroon, rust, brown, or black. Interspace colors can be shades of light to dark gray, yellow, or tan.

Distribution and habitat

The desert rosy boa is found in the Aridoamerica ecoregion, in the southwestern United States in the states of California and Arizona, and northwestern Mexico in the states of Baja California and Sonora. In California, the species inhabits extreme southern San Diego County, California within the Tijuana River and Otay watersheds. [5] In Arizona, the desert rosy boa occupies the western areas of the Sonoran Desert. In Sonora, the desert rosy boa ranges from the border with the United States south throughout the Sonoran Desert to at least as far south as Ortiz. In Baja California, the desert rosy boa is almost ubiquitous ranging throughout the entire peninsula except in areas of extremely dry or rockless desert.

Behavior

The desert rosy boa spends most of its life concealed beneath rocks and in crevices to escape the elements and natural predators. Granite outcroppings are the most common geologic association inhabited by the desert rosy boa. Less often, it is found in association with volcanic or other rock types. Only in rare places does the desert rosy boa inhabit rockless environments. In areas with few rocks, the desert rosy boa uses rodent burrows for concealment.

Desert rosy boa Lichanura-trivirgata.jpg
Desert rosy boa

The desert rosy boa's activity season follows local weather patterns; however, it is generally dormant during the winter, and active during the spring, summer, and fall. Like all snakes, it is dependent on external temperatures to promote such normal bodily functions as digestion and gestation. Throughout most of its range, the winter is too cold for these functions and the desert rosy boa goes into a dormant state called brumation. The spring is breeding season, resulting in its highest rate of activity. Most specimens of the desert rosy boa are encountered in spring as they leave the security of their rock piles and crevices to seek mates. Another reason why the desert rosy boa may be active on the surface of the ground is to find prey or new territory.

A desert rosy boa from Riverside, California, exhibiting its docile nature Rosy Boa Jaden L Garland April 2006 100 4506.JPG
A desert rosy boa from Riverside, California, exhibiting its docile nature

The surface activity of the desert rosy boa can take place during any hour of the day, but during hot weather, it is primarily nocturnal. In the spring, it is often out in the afternoon and early evening. In the late spring and summer, this activity period switches from dusk to late into the night. Because most populations of the desert rosy boa live in exceedingly dry habitats, activity is often highly moisture-dependent. During dry periods it remains deep underground to assist in remaining hydrated. Recent rainfall often results in a flurry of surface activity.

The desert rosy boa forages mainly for small mammals, but has occasionally been known to take other prey items, such as lizards, amphibians, other snakes, birds and their chicks, and mammals (such as bats). [4] [6] Pack rats, baby rabbits, deer mice, and kangaroo rats make up a large portion of its diet. The desert rosy boa is one of the slowest-moving species of snakes in the world. It is unable to pursue prey and must either wait in ambush or stalk its meals. When a meal is within reach, usually a few inches, a desert rosy boa strikes with surprising speed and accuracy. Prey is secured with tiny rows of needle-sharp teeth, then suffocated through constriction.

The desert rosy boa is extremely docile when encountered by humans. When disturbed, it usually rolls into a compact ball with the head in the center. [7] The species is not prone to bite in defense, but rather will release a foul-smelling musk from the base of the tail when threatened. When human bites have occurred, they have usually been the result of a feeding response with a captive animal. The desert rosy boa is nonvenomous. Its extreme docility, few needs, and attractive coloration have made the desert rosy boa popular with herpetoculturists.

Reproduction

The desert rosy boa bears live young, about six in a brood, with newborns up to 30 cm (12 in) in length. [7]

Pet desert rosy boa eating a mouse Rosy boa eating.JPG
Pet desert rosy boa eating a mouse

In captivity

Its generally docile temperament and small size make the desert rosy boa an ideal choice for a pet snake. It is frequently captive bred, and different color variations are available in captivity due to selective breeding. With good care, desert rosy boa are capable of living 30+ years in captivity.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boidae</span> Family of snakes

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingsnake</span> Genus of snakes

Kingsnakes are colubrid New World members of the genus Lampropeltis, which includes 26 species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized. They are nonvenomous and ophiophagous in diet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calabar python</span> Species of snake

The Calabar python is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to West and Central Africa. It is the only species in its genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubber boa</span> Western North American snake

The rubber boa is a species of snake in the family Boidae and is native to western North America. It is sometimes known as the coastal rubber boa or the northern rubber boa and is not to be confused with the southern rubber boa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granite spiny lizard</span> Species of lizard

The granite spiny lizard is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aridoamerica</span> Ecological region of North America

Aridoamerica denotes an ecological region spanning Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, defined by the presence of the culturally significant staple foodstuff Phaseolus acutifolius, a drought-resistant bean. Its dry, arid climate and geography stand in contrast to the verdant Mesoamerica of present-day central Mexico into Central America to the south and east, and the higher, milder "island" of Oasisamerica to the north. Aridoamerica overlaps with both.

<i>Charina</i> Genus of snakes

Charina is a genus of nonvenomous boas, commonly known as rubber boas, found in North America. Two species are currently recognized.

<i>Lichanura</i> Genus of snakes

Lichanura, the rosy boas, are a genus of snakes in the family Boidae. They are distributed across the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern rubber boa</span> Species of snake

Charina umbratica, known commonly as the southern rubber boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to the United States, in southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphibians and reptiles of Mount Rainier National Park</span>

There are 14 species of amphibians and 5 species of reptiles known to occur in Mount Rainier National Park.

Isla Mejia is an island in the Gulf of California east of the Baja California Peninsula. The island is uninhabited and is part of the Mexicali Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Booidea</span> Superfamily of snakes

The Booidea, also known as booid snakes, are a superfamily of snakes that contains boas and other closely related boa-like snakes. As of 2017, Booidea contains 61 species, including the eponymous neotropical Boa constrictor, anacondas, and smaller tree and rainbow boas as well as several genera of booid snakes from various locations around the world: bevel-nosed boas or keel-scaled boas (Candoia) from New Guinea and Melanesia, Old World sand boas (Eryx) from Northeast Africa, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia, rubber boas (Charina) and rosy boas (Lichanura) from North America, neotropical dwarf boas (Ungaliophis) and the Oaxacan dwarf boa (Exiliboa) from Central America, Madagascan boas or Malagasy boas from Madagascar, and the Calabar python (Calabaria) from tropical West-Central Africa.

<i>Lichanura orcutti</i> Species of snake

Lichanura orcutti, also known as the rosy boa, the coastal rosy boa, or the northern three-lined boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. This species is found North of the US–Mexico border within San Diego County in California and along the coastal Peninsular Ranges, northward into the Mojave Desert and eastward in the Sonoran Desert of California and Arizona. Lichanura orcutti is one of four boa species native to the continental United States, the other three being the desert rosy boa, and the two species of rubber boas (Charina).

References

  1. Hammerson GA, Frost DR, Gadsden H (2007). "Lichanura trivirgata ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2007: e.T63726A12711011. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63726A12711011.en .
  2. Stejneger L, Barbour T (1917). "Lichanura ". A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 73.
  3. Lichanura trivirgata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  4. 1 2 "Charina trivirgata (Rosy Boa)".
  5. "Rosy Boa - Lichanura orcutti". www.californiaherps.com. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  6. England, Jeff (14 July 2022). "Rosy Boa Care – Owner's Guide on Size, Habitat and Diet". reptileadvisor.com. Reptile Advisor. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  7. 1 2 Schmidt KP, Davis DD (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Lichanura roseofusca, pp. 96–98 & Plate 8).

Further reading