Rubber Boa

(Charina bottae)

Description:
14-33" (35.6-83.8 cm). Looks rubbery. Short broad snout and short blunt tail give it a two-headed appearance. Uniformly olive-green, reddish-brown, or tan to chocolate-brown. Large scales on top of head. Eyes small with vertical pupils. Scales smooth, in 32-53 rows. Anal plate single. Adult males have well-developed anal spurs; small spurs in females usually hidden.
Breeding:
Live-bearing; 2-8 young, 7" (17.8 cm) long, are born late August to September.
Habitat:
Damp woodland and coniferous forest, large grassy areas, meadows, and moist sandy areas along rocky streams. Sea level to 9,200' (2,800 m).
Range:
British Columbia to s. California and eastward to Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.

Crepuscular and nocturnal. An accomplished burrower, it retreats under rocks or into damp sand, hollow rotting logs, or forest litter. Also a good swimmer and climber; its prehensile tail enables it to climb shrubs and small trees. A constrictor, it preys on small mammals, birds, and lizards. It is docile and curls into ball when picked up. Captive longevity exceeds 11 years.

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