Rainbow boa | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Boidae |
Genus: | Epicrates |
Species: | E. cenchria |
Binomial name | |
Epicrates cenchria | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Synonyms List
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The rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria) is a boa species endemic to Central and South America. A semi-arboreal species (not only do they climb in the wild but also proven in captivity), it is known for its attractive iridescent/holographic sheen caused by structural coloration. Five subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. [3]
The rainbow boa is found in lower Central America (Costa Rica and Panama), and farther south into South America. It occurs east of the Andes, roughly reaching northern Argentina (in the provinces Chaco, Córdoba, Corrientes, Formosa, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán).
The rainbow boa's habitat generally consists of humid woodlands and rainforests, but it can also be found in open savannas.
The rainbow boa is typically orange, brown, or reddish brown, with a paler belly and black markings: three parallel stripes on the head, rings down the back, and lateral blotches with a crescent over them, although there is a great deal of natural variation that may be heightened by artificial breeding. It is 4 to 6 feet in length [4] and sexually dimorphic, as females are slightly longer and have wider abdomens. Males are stronger when compared with females of the same length and more resistant to handling. [5]
Rainbow boas are nocturnal and most active in the middle of the night.
This species is semi-arboreal, spending time both on the ground and in trees. They are also known to spend time in bodies of water, and are considered capable swimmers.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(March 2023) |
The rainbow boa reaches sexual maturity at 1.2 meters for males and 1.4 meters for females, or when they're approximately 2.5 to 4 years old. [4] Females need to be the correct size otherwise they could have complications during and after birth. Males can mate with multiple females which can be beneficial for reptile breeding.
Males generally go without feeding during the mating season and females tend to eat smaller portions during the breeding season. In order to decrease the probability of birthing issues, females should be fed smaller rats/mice in order to save space for proper ova development.
It is not unusual for both sexes to go without eating during the mating season.
The most common type of rainbow boa found in the pet trade is the Brazilian rainbow boa, E. c. cenchria. During the 1980s and early 1990s, substantial numbers were exported from Suriname. Today, however, far fewer are exported, and most offered for sale are captive bred. [6] With good care, a captive Brazilian rainbow boa can be expected to live for up to 30 years, but most live up to 20. [7]
Subspecies [3] | Taxon author [3] | Common name | Geographic range |
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Epicrates cenchria barbouri | Stull, 1938 | Marajo Island rainbow boa | |
Epicrates cenchria cenchria | (Linnaeus, 1758) | Brazilian rainbow boa | the Amazon Basin and in coastal Guiana, French Guiana, Suriname and southern Venezuela |
Epicrates cenchria gaigeae | Stull, 1938 | Peruvian rainbow boa | |
Epicrates cenchria hygrophilus | Amaral, 1935 | Espirito Santo rainbow boa | |
Epicrates cenchria polylepis | Amaral, 1935 | Central Highlands rainbow boa | |
The subspecific names barbouri and gaigeae are in honor of American herpetologists Thomas Barbour and Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige, respectively. [8]
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.
Chilabothrus exsul, the Abaco Island boa or Northern Bahamas boa, is a boa species found in the Bahamas. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all other boas, it is not venomous.
Epicrates is a genus of non-venomous snakes in the subfamily Boinae of the family Boidae. The genus is native to South America and Central America. Five species are currently recognized as being valid, including the rainbow boa.
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.
Candoia is a genus of non-venomous boas found mostly in New Guinea, Melanesia, the Solomon Islands and the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Common names include bevel-nosed boas and keel-scaled boas.
Acrantophis dumerili, commonly known as Dumeril's boa, is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Acrantophis madagascariensis is a species of boid snake in the subfamily Sanziniinae that is endemic to the island of Madagascar. Its common names include the Madagascar ground boa and Malagasy ground boa.
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.
The Cuban boa, also known as the Cuban tree boa and by locals as Majá de Santa María, is a very large species of snake in the family Boidae. With lengths exceeding 5 m (16 ft) and a relatively heavy build, the Cuban boa is one of the largest snakes in North America. The species is native to Cuba and some nearby islands. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Eryx colubrinus, the Egyptian or Kenyan sand boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to Northern and Eastern Africa. Three subspecies are recognized.
The olive python is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
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.
Candoia bibroni—commonly known as Bibron's bevel-nosed boa, Bibron's keel-scaled boa, the Pacific tree boa or the Fiji boa—is a species of boa, a group of non-venomous, constricting snakes, endemic to the southern Pacific Ocean island chains of Melanesia and Polynesia. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies, described here. Candoia bibroni is one of the most isolated and far-removed species of boid snakes on earth, as the majority of boa species are found in the Americas and the Caribbean, or, in the case of the terrestrial sand boas, in Africa and Eurasia.
Epicrates maurus is a species of non-venomous constrictor in the family Boidae, commonly found in the Amazon region of South America. The common name for this species is the brown rainbow boa. This species is semi-arboreal, spending time both on the ground and climbing trees and shrubs, although they are also known to swim. They are nocturnal and primarily active in the middle of the night. Rainbow boas are known for their attractive iridescent sheen on their scales in the sunlight.
Chilabothrus fordii, also known commonly as Ford's boa and the Haitian ground boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. There are three recognized subspecies.
The boa constrictor, also known as the common boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family Boidae. The species is native to tropical South America. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Four subspecies are recognized.
The Australian scrub python, also known commonly as Kinghorn's python and simply as the scrub python is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is indigenous to forests of northern Australia. It is one of the world's longest and largest snakes, and is the longest and largest in Australia. In 2014 it was reclassified to the genus Simalia alongside a few other former Morelia species, but scientific debate over this continues.
Chilabothrus granti, also known commonly as the Virgin Islands boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is native to the Caribbean.
Chilabothrus strigilatus, also known commonly as the Bahamian boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to the Bahamas. There are five recognized subspecies.