JAmaican boa
Conservation Messaging Opportunities
Physical features
As adults their length can range from 6-8 feet. Female Jamaican boas tend to be larger than their male counterparts.
Their adult coloration is different across the body. Adults tend to have a tan, grayish, yellow, or orange first 1/3 of the body. The remaining parts of the body are mostly black with a strong iridescence.
Jamaican boas are nocturnal and ambush hunters.
Range and Habitat
Range – Endemic to Jamaica
Habitat – Rainforests, wetlands, dry forests, scrublands, and plantations
Diet: Carnivore
Wild – Bats, lizards, frogs, birds and rats.
Zoo – Rats, mice, and chicks
Lifespan
Wild – about 20 years
Zoo – about 30 years
Reproduction
The gestation period for females is approximately 6-8 months.
Jamaican boas are ovoviviparous. The baby snakes hatch inside the mother and are born as active live snakes.
Conservation: Vulnerable
Major threats to the survival of Jamaican boas include habitat alteration and predation by invasive species.
Educating locals about the value of the Jamaican boa is important. Many locals believe that this snake is venomous and it is mistakenly killed out of fear.
This snake is beneficial to farmers as it preys on rodent species that consume plantation products such as sugar cane, coffee and bananas.
Interpretive Information
On the island they are often referred to as the Jamaican yellow snake.
Jamaican boas are non-venomous constrictors that suffocate their prey by wrapping their body around it.
Jamaican boas use their prehensile tails to hang from trees while grabbing prey out of the air. They can constrict and swallow their prey while hanging from their tail.
References
Gibson, R. 1996. Epicrates subflavus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved January 4, 2015, from www.iucnredlist.org
Jamaican boa photos and facts. Retrieved January 4, 2015, from http://www.arkive.org/jamaican-boa/epicrates-subflavus/
Jamaican boa. Retrieved January 4, 2015, from http://www.dudleyzoo.org.uk/our-animals/jamaican-boa
Jamaican Boa Conservation. Retrieved January 4, 2015, from http://jacksonvillezoo.org/content.aspx?pageID=15522&CNM=Jamaican Boa Conservation
Zoo Atlanta Keeper Staff
Updated January 2015