RAINBOW BOA (COLOMBIAN)

Common Names: Rainbow boa.

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Boidae

Subfamily: Boinae

Latin Name: Epicrates cenchria

Habitat and Range: Widely distributed throughout Central and South America. It tends to live in hollows in the ground, in rock piles, on cultivated land.

Description: Reddish color with bluish rings on both sides of the body. Young rainbow boas have conspicuous, dark, leopard-like spots on the sides of the body. These marking apparently become less visible with age.

Adult Size: 4 feet avg.

Diet in the Wild: Rodents, small mammals, birds. Non-venomous constrictor.

Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (live births); litter size about 20; gestation is approximately six months.

Life Span: 15 yrs. avg. in captivity.

Perils: Birds of prey, man.

Protection: Camouflage; hisses to frighten predators; bites if necessary.

Interesting Facts. The rainbow boa is named for the multicolored iridescent sheen which is quite conspicuous when the snake is seen in sunlight and especially after shedding. Our educational animals are Colombian rainbow boas. There is also a Brazilian rainbow boa (E. cenchria cenchria) that is more boldly marked. Rainbow boas are ovoviviparous, which means that eggs are produced but hatch inside the body of the female. Thus, the young are born alive.

Ecology: Generally helpful to man through control of rodent populations. Snakes are often killed for their meat and leather or captured for the animal trade.

Diet at the Zoo: Mice or rats, depending upon the size of the snake. Our snakes are fed every other week.

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