Jamaican Boa
These snakes usually bear a yellow or olive to tan pattern colour, on a black background, with a mostly black tail area.
What they eat
Rodents and other small mammals including bats; small birds. Young Jamaican Boas will eat small frogs and lizards.
How long they live
25-35 years
Biology
Jamaican Boas are nocturnal reptiles which hunt for food at night, killing their prey by constriction. They breed from February to April, with females giving birth to live young in the autumn, from October to December.
Did you know?
Many Jamaican Boas are killed with machetes by frightened crop workers and farmers who encounter them in fields, falsely believing them to be venomous.
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Species Profile
Common name
Jamaican Boa
(called the Yellow Snake on Jamaica)
Scientific name
Epricrates subflavus
Animal group/type
Reptile - snake
Where they live
Jamaica
Habitat
Moist limestone forests, rock crevices, caves, trees.
Size
Length: Up to 2m
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
Vulnerable
Threats
Habitat loss due to deforestation and urban development.
Burning of canefields in which they may be sheltering.
Predators introduced to their habitat by humans, such as dogs, cats and mongoose which eat the young.
Persecution by the human population who believe them to be dangerous.