Rainbow boa

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iRainbow Boas

Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria cenchria

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Boidae
Genus:	Epicrates

Species

See text.

A Rainbow Boa, or Slender Boa, is one of several terrestrial boas, of genus Epicrates, known for their attractive patterns.

[edit] Distribution

Rainbow Boas are distributed throughout most of Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. The term Rainbow Boa is applied both to the entire genus Epicrates, or to the species Epicrates cenchria (also known as the Slender Rainbow Boa). Some of the other species of Epicrates are also referred to simply as Rainbow Boas, at least locally, because most species and subspecies are confined to particular regions, often islands, and it is rare to find two species in the same locality.

E. cenchria is the species most often kept as a pet, and it has many subspecies, easily distinguishable by their markings, most of which have well established common names. If the term "Rainbow Boa" is used outside the regions to which these snakes are native, it is most likely to refer to this species.

[edit] Species

Cuban Boa, Epicrates angulifer (Bibron, 1840)
Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria
- Argentine Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria alvarezi (Abalos, Baez & Nader, 1964)
- Caatinga Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria assisi (Machado, 1945)
- Marajo Island Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria barbouri (Stall, 1938)
- Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria cenchria (Linnaeus, 1758)
  
  Brazilian rainbow boa at Reptile Museum outside Monroe, Washington.
- Paraguayan Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria crassus (Cope, 1862)
- Peruvian Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria gaigei (Stull, 1938)
- Espirito Santo Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria hygrophilus (Amaral, 1935)
- Colombian Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria maurus (Gray, 1849)
- Central Highland Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria polylepis (Amaral, 1935)
- Rio Branco Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cencheria xerophilus
Turks & Caicos Boa, Epicrates chrysogaster
- Turks & Caicos Island Boa, Epicrates chrysogaster chrysogaster (Cope, 1871)
- Great Inagua Island Boa, Epicrates chrysogaster relicquus (Barbour & Shreve, 1935)
- Acklins Island Boa, Epicrates chrysogaster schwartzi (Buden, 1975)
Abaco Island Boa, Epicrates exsul (Netting & Goin, 1944)
Haitian Ground Boa, Epicrates fordii
- St. Nicholas Ground Boa, Epicrates fordii agametus (Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974)
- Haitian Ground Boa, Epicrates fordii fordii (Gunther, 1861)
- Epicrates fordii manototus (Schwartz, 1979)
Haitian Tree Boa, Epicrates gracilis
- Haitian Tree Boa, Epicrates gracilis gracilis (Fischer, 1888)
- Coastal Tree Boa, Epicrates gracilis hapalus (Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974)
Puerto Rican Boa, Epicrates inornatus (Reihardt, 1843)
Mona Island Boa, Epicrates monensis
- Virgin Island Tree Boa, Epicrates monensis granti (Stull, 1933)
- Mona Island Boa, Epicrates monensis monensis (Zenneck, 1898)
Hispaniolan Boa, Epicrates striatus (Fischer, 1856)
- Cat Island Boa, Epicrates striatus ailurus (Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974)
- Tiburon Peninsula Boa, Epicrates striatus exagistus (Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974)
- Bimini Island Boa, Epicrates striatus fosteri (Barbour, 1941)
- Andros Island Boa, Epicrates striatus fowleri (Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974)
- Ragged Island Boa, Epicrates striatus maccraniei (Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974)
- Hispaniolan Boa, Epicrates striatus striatus (Fischer, 1856)
- New Providence Island BoaEpicrates striatus strigulatus (Cope, 1862)
- Tortuga Boa, Epicrates striatus warreni (Sheplan & Schwartz, 1974)
Jamaican Boa, Epicrates subflavus (Stejneger, 1901)