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Overview
Characteristics
Overview
The Puerto Rican boa is the largest snake found in Puerto Rico. This snake is not venomous and does not attack human beings. It is actually considered somewhat timid and upon detecting human presence nearby, its first and natural reaction is to escape. Although it is generally docile, some adults might try to bite, especially if handled or when it feels threatened. Puerto Rican boas are considered difficult to find because of their cryptic coloration and habits. They are considered a beneficial species because they help control rodent populations.
Scientific Name
Epicrates inornatus
Common Name
Puerto Rican Boa
FWS Category
Reptiles
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Characteristic category
Life Cycle
Characteristics
Life Span
The actual life span of a Puerto Rican boa in the wild is unknown, but it has been suggested thatthey might live between 20 and 30 years.
Reproduction
Courtship and mating of the Puerto Rican boa is seasonal and reproduction appears to be mostly biennial inthe wild. Courtship and copulation tend to occur between February and May, and young boas are born after a gestation period of approximately 5 to 6 months, aroundAugust to November. The species' reproductive cycle is synchronized with the seasonal patterns of precipitation and temperature in Puerto Rico.Female Puerto Rican boas do not lay nor incubate eggs, but rather give birth to fully developed young. The gestation period lasts approximately 5 to 6 months, and, in general, reported litter sizes range from 10 to 32 neonates.
Characteristic category
Habitat
Characteristics
Habitat
The Puerto Rican boa is considered a habitat generalist and tolerates a wide variety of habitat types (terrestrial and arboreal). These include: rocky areas and haystack hills, trees andbranches, rotting stumps, caves (entrances and inside), plantations, various types of forested areas such as karst and mangrove forests, forested urban and rural areas, and along streams and road edges. Cave ecosystems and their surrounding forests are considered particularly important because of the availability of such ecological resources such as prey, shelter, thermal gradients, and mates for reproduction. Nearly half of the island is considered habitat for the Puerto Rican boa.
Forest
A dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large tract.
Coastal
The land near a shore.
Cave or Karst
A natural chamber or series of chambers in the earth or in the side of a hill or cliff. An irregular limestone region with sinkholes, underground streams and caverns.
Mountain
A landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill.
Urban
Of or relating to cities and the people who live in them.
Rural
Environments influenced by humans in a less substantial way than cities. This can include agriculture, silvaculture, aquaculture, etc.
Characteristic category
Physical Characteristics
Characteristics
Color & Pattern
The dorsal coloration of the Puerto Rican boa is variable and has been described from tan to reddish brown to very dark brown, with several dark bars or spots along its body. Juveniles may have a reddish color. Body markings are usually more pronounced in neonates and juveniles, but those markings tend to fade with age.The species name inornatusmeans unadorned. The ventral scales also vary from gray to dark brown.
Size & Shape
The Puerto Rican boa is considered a large snake,with the largest recorded sizes around 6.6 feet (2 meters) in lengthand possibly capable of reaching larger sizes, particularly in captivity. Most adult individuals in the wild will range from 3.3 feet to 6.6 feet (1 to 2 meters) in length. Females tend to be more corpulent than males.
Characteristic category
Food
Characteristics
Food
The Puerto Rican boa captures its prey with its mouth; it coils its body around its prey and constricts until the prey is killed by asphyxiation. These boas use both ambush and active foraging modes, eating smaller prey when young and mostly rats as they get larger. Other prey includes bats, lizards, birds (including domesticfowl), and frogs. Puerto Rican boas are known to hang in front of caves entrances in order to capture flying bats as they come out of caves in the evening.
Characteristic category
Behavior
Characteristics
Behavior
The Puerto Rican boa is considered mostly nocturnal but can be seen basking during the day. The species can remain inactive for long periods of time, and both sexes are more active during the reproductive period than during the non-reproductive period.
Geography
Characteristics
Range
The Puerto Rican boa is only known to exist in the wild on the island of Puerto Rico. The species is considered widely distributed but not uniformly abundant across the island. It has a reported elevation range from sea level to about 3,280 feet (1,000 meters), but there are few reports of the species above 1,640 feet (500 meters). In general, the species is more abundant in the karst region of northern Puerto Rico and less abundant in the drier southern region of the island.
