Jamaican boa

Jamaican Boa
Epicrates subflavus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Boidae
Subfamily: Boinae
Genus: Epicrates
Species: E. subflavus
Binomial name
Epicrates subflavus
Stejneger, 1901[1]

The Jamaican Boa[2] or yellow snake[3] (Epicrates subflavus) is a nonvenomous boa species endemic to Jamaica. No subspecies are currently recognized.[2]

Description

The Jamaican boa is golden yellow around the head and along the anterior section of the body, with black zigzag crossbars, becoming black toward the posterior end of its body. The snake's body is quite long, up to 2 metres (6 feet 7 inches) in total length.

Geographic range

Found in Jamaica, including Goat Island. The type locality given is "Jamaica".[1]

Habitat

Moist limestone forests.

Conservation status

This species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with the following criteria: A2ce (v2.3, 1994).[4] A species is listed as such when the best available evidence indicates that a population decline of 20% is expected within the next ten years or three generations, whichever is the longer, due to a decline in the quality and area of occupancy. It is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Year assessed: 1996.[5]

Their natural habitat is being destroyed, which is forcing them into inhabited areas, where they are captured and killed. Some measures have been taken to afford these animals some protection:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 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. 1 2 "Epicrates subflavus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  3. Jamaican Boa at www.nrca.org. Accessed 3 March 2009.
  4. Epicrates subflavus at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 7 July 2008.
  5. 1994 Categories & Criteria (version 2.3) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 7 July 2008.

Further reading

External links

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