Epicrates cenchria

Epicrates cenchria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Boidae
Subfamily:	Boinae
Genus:	Epicrates
Species:	E. cenchria
Binomial name
Epicrates cenchria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Boa cenchria - Linnaeus, 1754 [Boa] Cenchria - Linnaeus, 1758 Coluber tamachia - Scopoli, 1788 Boa Cenchris - Gmelin, 1788 Boa aboma - Daudin, 1803 Boa ternatea - Daudin, 1803 Boa annulifer - Daudin, 1803 [Epicrates] cenchria - Wagler, 1830 Cliftia fusca - Gray, 1849 Epicarsius cupreus - Fischer, 1856 Epicarsius cupreus - Brown, 1893 Epicrates cenchris - Boulenger, 1893 Epicrates cenchria - Griffin, 1916 Epicrates cenchria var. fusca - Griffin, 1916 Epicrates cenchria cenchria - Amaral, 1930 Epicrates cenchria cenchria - Stull, 1938[1]

Epicrates cenchria is a boa species found in Central and South America. Common names include the rainbow boa,^[2] and slender boa. A terrestrial species, it is known for its attractive iridescent sheen. Nine subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.^[2]

Geographic range

Found in lower Central America in Costa Rica and Panama. In South America it occurs east of the Andes in Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina (in the provinces of Chaco, Córdoba, Corrientes, Formosa, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán). The type locality given is "Surinami."^[1]

Captivity

Despite requiring very specific humidity and heat this species is commonly found in the pet trade. During the 1980s and early 1990s, substantial numbers were exported from Suriname. Today, however, far fewer are exported and most offered for sale are captive bred.^[3] Due to their requirements of high humidity in a captive environment they should be considered of intermediate difficulty for snake owners, but once these requirements have been met they generally thrive in captivity. Younger specimens will often bite, but tend to calm down as they become more used to handling.

Subspecies

Subspecies[2]	Taxon author[2]	Common name	Geographic range
E. c. alvarezi	Abalos, Baez & Nader, 1964	Argentine rainbow boa
E. c. assisi	Machado, 1945	Caatinga rainbow boa
E. c. barbouri	Stull, 1938	Marajo Island rainbow boa
E. c. cenchria	(Linnaeus, 1758)	Brazilian rainbow boa
E. c. crassus	(Cope, 1862)	Paraguayan rainbow boa
E. c. gaigei	Stull, 1938	Peruvian rainbow boa
E. c. hygrophilus	Amaral, 1935	Espirito Santo rainbow boa
E. c. maurus	Gray, 1849	Colombian rainbow boa
E. c. polylepis	Amaral, 1935	Central highland rainbow boa

Gallery

• Images gallery
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  Peruvian species

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See also

• List of boine species and subspecies
• Boinae by common name
• Boinae by taxonomic synonyms

References

1. ^ ^{a b} McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Epicrates cenchria". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=209561. Retrieved 10 July 2008. 
3. ^ Brazilian Rainbow Boa at Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Accessed 12 November 2008.

External links

• Epicrates cenchria at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 10 July 2008.