Rainbow Boa Care Sheets
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Brazilian Rainbow Boa |
Columbian Rainbow Boa |
Paraguayan Rainbow Boas |
Other Rainbow Boas
There are 9 species of Rainbow Boa, but not all of them are commonly kept in captivity. Here is a little more information about the rarer species of Rainbow Boa.
Peruvian Rainbow Boas
Common Name: Peruvian Rainbow Boa
Scientific Name: Epicrates cenchria gaigei
Origin: Peruvian Rainbow Boas are native to Peru and Bolivia.
Habitat: Peruvian Rainbow Boas are usually found in very humid tropical forests.
Description: Peruvian Rainbow Boas look similar to the Brazilian Rainbow Boas, in shades of red with black markings and the rainbow sheen. The circular markings on a Peruvian Rainbow Boa are generally larger than of those on a Brazilian Rainbow Boa and have lighter centres.
Size: Peruvian Rainbow boas are the largest of the Rainbow Boas, but are quite slender. They average at about 7ft to 8ft. Females will usually grow larger than the males.
Central Highland/Minas Gerias Rainbow Boas
Common Name: Central Highland Rainbow Boa or Minas Gerias Rainbow Boa
Scientific Name: Epicrates cenchria polylepis
Origin: Central Highland Rainbow Boas are native to Brazil and Venezuela.
Habitat: The Central Island Rainbow Boa prefers a drier habitat than other types of Rainbow Boa.
Description: In comparison to some of the other Rainbow Boa species, this is a dull coloured snake with dark colourings, but it can still be described as beautiful. It is rare to find this rainbow boa in the pet trade.
Espirito Santo Rainbow Boas
Common Name: Espirito Santo Rainbow Boa
Scientific Name: Epicrates cenchria hygrophilis
Origin: Espirito Santo Rainbow Boas can be found in Brazil, in the state of Espirito Santo, hence the name.
Description: Espirato Santos Rainbow boas are a bright coloured rainbow boa with a tinge of yellow on their red/orange/brown colouring. They look similar to Brazilian Rainbow Boas, but without the dark markings on the scales on it's underside.
Caatinga Rainbow Boas
Common Name: Caatinga Rainbow Boa
Scientific Name: Epicrates cenchria assisi
Origin: Caatinga Rainbow boas are commonly found in Brazil, in the Caatinga region of Bahia.
Description: Caatinga Rainbow Boas look similar to Paraguayan Rainbow Boas, but they have more definition in their markings and are more richly coloured. Background colour ranges from redish-brown to olive black.
Marajo Island Rainbow Boas
Common Name: Marajo Island Rainbow Boa
Scientific Name: Epicrates cenchria barbouri
Origin: Marajo Island Rainbow Boas are native to Majajo Island, which is a small island off Brazil.
Description: Marajo Island Rainbow boas are brightly coloured with tinges of red, brown and orange. The markings on the body tend to be more like saddles than circles.
Guyana Rainbow Boas
Although not an officially recognised species of Rainbow Boa, Guyana Rainbow Boas are thought to be a cross between Brazilian Rainbow Boas and Columbian Rainbow Boas.
Common Name: Guyana Rainbow Boa
Often marketed in the pet trade as: Epicrates cenchria crassus, but this is an incorrect name for them. Epicrates cenchria crassus is the true scientific name for the Paraguayan Rainbow Boa, which is not the same as the Guyana Rainbow Boa.
Origin: Guyana, northern South America.
Description: Guyana Rainbow Boas seem to have similar traits to both Brazilian and Columbian Rainbow Boas. They are usually rusty brown with slight saddles and a silver tinge on the sides.
Size: Guyana Rainbow Boas are considered reasonably small in comparison to other Rainbow Boas.
Temperament: Guyana Rainbow Boas are said to be easy to care for and breed well in captivity.