Red-Tailed Boas are the largest subspecies of boa and are arguably the most beautiful. They have black speckled bellies and defined red blotches on the surface of their posterior and tail, thus the name. This is the most popular boa subspecies, with a greater number of ventral scales (234–250) and blotches. There are quite a few different color and pattern varieties created by breeders, one of the most popular being the scarlet Blood Phase Boa.

Common boas don’t have speckled bellies, but if they do they are lightly speckled and the pattern on the tail appears to be smudged. The common boas have less than 253 ventral (belly surface) scales and at least 21 dorsal (top surface) blotches (the area between the vent and the neck). They typically have blotches on their tails and scale patterns that look like leaves, ovals, diamonds, or circles.ĭepending on the subspecies, your boa can take on a variety of looks. Depending on the habitat they’re trying to blend into, boas can have a range of colors, including tan, green, red, and yellow. A boa’s small cloacal spurs on the sides of its vent (anus) are actually connected to said vestigial limbs!īoa constrictors have distinctive and varied markings. They have vestigial remnants of the pelvis and hind limbs of their lizard-like predecessors. Boa Constrictor Appearanceīoas are primitive snakes, just like pythons. In fact, the oldest recorded boa lived to be just over forty-three and lived at the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens. It’s quite normal for a boa constrictor to live for twenty to thirty years or more. Boa Constrictor Lifespanīoa constrictors are among the longest-lived snake species in the world. The largest boa constrictor on record is believed to have been 14 feet in length. Most captive-bred boa constrictors do not exceed a weight of 60 pounds, with most subspecies topping out at around 30 pounds. Male boa constrictors tend to be a little smaller than females. The average adult size ranges from 4 to 7 feet in length, with some individuals occasionally reaching 8 or 9 feet in length. Newborn boa constrictors range in length between 14 and 22 inches and weigh just 2 to 3 ounces. Boa Constrictor Sizeīoas are one of the few snakes that produce live births, versus eggs that need to be incubated. There are six subspecies currently recognized by all herpetologists, including the Common Boa Constrictor, Red-Tailed Boa Constrictor, Clouded Boa Constrictor, San Lucia Boa Constrictor, Short-Tailed Boa Constrictor, and Argentine Boa Constrictor. This map from the Washington Herp Atlas illustrates the distribution of western racer in Washington based on records in the WDFW database as of 2016. If you see this species in areas that are not indicated on the map or have more recent observations (less than 10 years), please share your observation using the WDFW wildlife reporting form.This is one of the few instances where an animal’s scientific name is the same as its common name. Racers have been also located in southern Puget Sound.

The western yellow-bellied racer (Coluber constrictor Mormon) occurs in eastern Washington. Females lay eggs in cavities in such places as decaying logs and animal burrows.

The diet of racers includes small mammals, reptiles, and insects. The racer holds its head and neck above the ground when hunting, and it may climb into shrubs. They are often observed streaking across roads. Racers occur in warm, dry, open, or brushy country. Racers are fast, aggressive snakes whereas rubber boas are slow, non-aggressive snakes. Racers differ in having large eyes, large dorsal scales and a tail that tapers to the tip. The rubber boa is sometimes confused with the racer because both species have similar coloration. Juvenile racers have indistinct blotching, smooth scales, and no eye mask compared to gophersnakes. This is a juvenile western racer that was found in Washington.

Monofilament recovery and recycling program.

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