Jamaican Boa
Basic Information:
Scientific Name: Chilabothrus subflavus
Habitat: Jamaican boas can be found in the limestone forests of Jamaica and Great Goat Island.
Diet: Young Jamaican boas feed on small lizards and frogs while adult boas feed on native bats and birds as well as rats and other rodents.
Size: 5 to 7.5 feet long
Weight: About 11 pounds
Lifespan: 23.7 years for males and 15.8 years for females according to AZA Species Survival Statistics
Distribution Map:
I.U.C.N. Conservation Status:
What does this mean?
Vulnerable – a species determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) to possess a high risk of extinction as a result of rapid population declines of 30 to more than 50 percent over the previous 10 years (or three generations), a current population size of fewer than 1,000 individuals, or other factors.
Our "On-Exhibit" Jamaican Boa:
Kaida – Born September 22, 2018
Our "Ambassador" Jamaican Boa:
Jamari – Born September 22, 2018
Did You Know?!
- Also known as the Yellow snake, the Jamaican Boa is the largest terrestrial predator native to the island of Jamaica.
- Jamaican boas are vulnerable due to habitat loss and the introduction of nonnative species.
- Jamaican boas employ an ambush strategy to secure prey. Hanging from tree limbs allows them to snatch prey, like bats or birds, from the air when they fly past. The prey is captured in flight and quickly wrapped up in constricting coils to be dispatched before being swallowed whole.
- Jamaican boas are nocturnal and arboreal.
- Due to their VULNERABLE status, there is a European Breeding Programme (EEP) for the Jamaican boa. There are around 150 Jamaican boas currently in zoos around the world that are part of this program.