The rainbow boa is a beautiful snake that has an iridescent rainbow sheen to their scales. Found in Central and South America, their unique appearance has made them a favorite in the reptile pet trade. If you want to learn more about the life and habits of this interesting-looking snake, then keep reading!
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Quick Facts
Scientific Name: Epicrates cenchria
Common Names: Rainbow Boa, Slender Boa, Western Rainbow Boa
Geographic Range: Central and South America
Life Span: Captivity: 20+ years
Wild: 7 – 12 Years
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Top 10 List – Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1. Colourful Rainbow Scales
Rainbow boas are a mix of red, orange, and brown coloring, with darker marks, blotches, and patterns down their bodies. The underbelly and sides of the snake are a lighter greyish color. On the top of their heads, they have 3 dark lines that run parallel to each other. Their heads are not rather large, but they are still wider than the neck. On average these snakes range from 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet) in length and on average weigh 1.3kg (2.9 pounds).
Now – onto the rainbow! Rainbow boas get their name because their scales have a beautiful iridescent rainbow sheen to them. In certain lighting, this can give the snake a rainbow appearance, which is quite breathtaking to look at. The rainbow sheen is brightest and most prominent right after the boa has shed. The rainbow iridescence of their scales is caused by microscopic ridges on the scales that create a rainbow glow when they reflect light.
2. Colourful Rainbow Boa Morphs
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Photo Source (Rolf Mikkelsen)
Photo Source (Jaroslav Gilar)
Like many popular reptiles that are available in the pet trade, the rainbow boa also has a couple of different morphs available. Just some of the morphs available are high-red, anery, calico, albino, and pied. However, there are many more morphs than that out there, and I’m sure breeders are always working on creating the next new morph!
3. Different Rainbow Boa Subspecies
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Rainbow boas currently have 5 known subspecies. At one point in time, there were thought to be 9 subspecies. But in 2008 a study split several of these subspecies into separate species, leaving the 5 that are recognized today. These 5 subspecies are:
Marajo Island rainbow boa (E. c. barbouri)
Peruvian rainbow boa (E. c. gaigeae)
Espirito Santo rainbow boa (E. c. hygrophilus)
Central highland rainbow boa (E. c. polylepis)
Brazilian rainbow boa (E. c. cenchria).
The most well-known/common of the subspecies is the Brazilian rainbow boa (E. c. cenchria).
4. Birthing Live Rainbow Boa Young
Breeding season for the Brazilian rainbow boa occurs during the fall and winter months. Rainbow boas are sexually mature when they reach a length of 1.5m (4.9 feet). For females this is usually when they are around 4 years old, and for males when they are 3 years old.
After mating, female rainbow boas can be gravid from anywhere between 3 to 8 months. During their pregnancy, the female snake will not eat. Between not eating and using a large amount of energy to grow her babies, the mother snake will lose quite a bit of muscle mass during this time. When the female is ready to give birth (usually during the spring and summer months) she will birth anywhere from 1 – 30 baby snakes in a membrane, which either she will help break open for them, or most commonly the babies will break out of themselves. The babies look similar to adults when born, just a lot smaller. They usually range in size between 12.4 to 30.2 grams.
Many young rainbow boas can be nippy and flighty while they are small. This is because in the wild, young rainbow boas are more easily preyed upon by larger predators because of their smaller size. However, with regular handling, they tend to calm down as they age and grow.
5. Pet Rainbow Boas
Rainbow boas are extremely popular in the pet trade, due to the beautiful rainbow sheen to their scales. Many keepers are enamored by the snake’s beautiful appearance. However, rainbow boas are considered intermediate pets to keep, as these snakes require high humidity to stay in good health. If you are thinking about getting a rainbow boa of your own, please research their care before you get one. This will allow you to decide if the care for this snake is something you can handle. And as always, make sure you have their enclosure set up and ready BEFORE you bring your pet snake home. This ensures that you’re able to set up the snake’s new home correctly, and can keep the temperature and humidity at proper levels.
6. The Differences Between Males And Females
Brazilian Rainbow females on average tend to be longer and thicker than their male counterparts. Their abdomens tend to be wider than the males to store their embryos and extra fat. Males tend to be more muscular than their female counterparts, and the base of their tails tend to be thicker due to their male organs.
7. Nocturnal Snakes
Rainbow Boas are nocturnal snakes. An hour before sundown they tend to go hunting for a drink of water or searching for a suitable hiding spot. They like to pick spots that have a high rodent, frog, and bird population. Once they have found their spot and settled in, they sit in their hide and wait for food to come by.
8. Ambush Predators
Like other boas, rainbow boas will ambush and constrict their prey. Once they spot suitable prey, they will grab their prey with their sharp, backward-facing teeth and proceed to coil around it. Then, they will squeeze their prey with their body and consume it. They constrict their prey because they are non-venomous snakes, and therefore have to disable their prey in other ways.
9. Terrestrial
Rainbow Boas are primarily terrestrial snakes. These snakes are usually found near a source of water. They mostly inhabit rainforests and humid woodland forests, however, they have been occasionally spotted in open savannahs. Even though they have a prehensile tail to help them climb, they are not truly arboreal snakes as they spend most of their time on the ground.
10. The Varied Diet of the Rainbow Boa
In the wild rainbow boas have quite a varied diet. That diet mainly consists of small mammals, rodents, birds, bats, and sometimes even small lizards. In captivity, rainbow boas can thrive on a diet of appropriate-sized mice/rats.
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