Mexican+Rosy+Boa

toc //Lichanura trivirgata trivirgata // Order: Squamata

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Diet Requirements

 * In the wild, Mexican rosy boas eat small mammals and birds.
 * In captivity, they are fed rodents.

Notes on Enrichment & Training


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Potential Messaging


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Range and Habitat
Mexican rosy boas are found in western mainland Mexico, southwest Arizona, and southern Baja. Their preferred habitats are desert, semi-desert scrub, rocky hillsides, irrigated agricultural areas, brushland, rocky chaparral, and ravines - in places where moisture is available.

Physical Description
This is a smooth-scales, burrowing boa. It has a beige, tan, or gray background, with 3 brown, black, orange, or rosy stripes running the length of the body. Flecks of stripe color may also be scattered over the body. This snake can reach lengths of 2 to 3.5 feet.

Life Cycle
Rosy boas are ovoviviparous, which means they develop within eggs that remain within the mother up until they hatch or are about to. This strategy is similar to viviparity in that the young are provided a sheltered environment. It is different in that the young are nourished by the egg yolk rather than from the mother's body. Mating occurs in the spring, and gestation is about 4 months. Young are born in the early fall, and are 10 to 12 inches long at birth. Average clutch size is 2 to 5 young. Average lifespan is about 15 to 18 years.

Behavior
Mexican rosy boas are secretive, often hiding in burrows, under stones or debris, or under sand. They emerge at dusk to feed, and will climb over low-growing bushes in search of food. They are powerful constrictors, but are not aggressive. When threatened, a rosy boa will coil into a ball in order to protect its head.

Threats and Conservation Status
This species is considered vulnerable, and is listed on CITES Appendix II.

=__Did you know…__=
 * The derivation of the Latin name is //Lichanura,// Greek, //lichanos//, forefinger; //oura,// Greek for tail - possibly referring to the body form or the stumpy tail. //Trivirgata//, Latin: tri - three, and virgata - striped. Refers to the color pattern.

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=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * The Philadelphia Zoo