They are small (1-2.5 ft) and thick-bodied with a light-brown back and a pale yellow belly. Secretive - hides beneath logs and rocks. The northern rubber boa has a ‘slow’ life history – a long life-span and a low reproductive rate. Habitat Rubber boas can be found in southern British Columbia, eastern Washington and Oregon, California, northern Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and parts of Utah. Rubber Boa – Just like mammals, this species gives live birth. They generally are not as heat tolerant as many other snakes, and disappear in warmer weather to find cooler surroundings and moisture. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Northern Rubber Boas are adaptable to nearly any sort of habitat but, since they are not very heat tolerant, they are not as likely to be found in open places of warm weather. The tail is used as a distraction during predator evasion. Non-venomous Rubber Boas are short and stout snakes with a blunt, rounded tail that resembles the head. They are primarily nocturnal, but occasionally may be observed sunning on roads, trails, or in open areas. Similar species: The racer (Coluber constrictor) can be found from southern British Columbia, east to Maine, and south across the US to southern Florida and southern California.Racers, as their name implies, are fast and sleek snakes, unlike the slow-moving rubber boa. The underside is yellow, orange, or cream. Rubber Boa This animal is not on exhibit in the habitats. Size: Length: 21 to 26 inches (females are slightly longer than males) Weight: About 80 grams; This is a small, stout, and smooth snake. Habitat. 14pp Gill, C. 2005. "The southern rubber boa is known from several localities in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, near Idyllwild in Riverside County, and on Mount Pinos in Kern County. These snakes can endure colder temperatures than most snakes, tolerating temperatures as low as 54 degrees Fahrenheit. These snakes are viviparous, giving birth to live young. Species Code: CHBO. The rubber boa is one of only 2 kinds of boas native into the United States, the other is the rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata). Finally ,because the snakes have a very low reproduction rate and confined habitat, they are more vulnerable to loss of the population. It develops its young in an embryo in the uterus, and then gives birth to 1 – 9 offspring per clutch. Learn about some of the unique species and their traits below. Northern Rubber Boas are nocturnal hunters. Reptiles. This makes it vulnerable to human disturbance. The rubber boa (Charina bottae) is a small non-venomous snake at the family Boidae, native to the Western United States and Southwestern Canada. Rubber Boa have small, smooth scales giving them a shiny, loose skin that resembles rubber. Rubber boas are usually found in rocky areas near streams or rivers with nearby shrubs or trees. In addition, some experts consider the southern rubber boa, C. umbratica to be a subspecies of C. bottae . Rubber boas spend a considerable amount of time underground in abandoned rodent burrows and rock crevices. Juveniles are pale all over. Two to eight young are born alive in late summer or early fall. Winter habitat for rubber boas is equally as important as summer habitat but is difficult to locate. Interesting Facts About the Sand Boa. COSEWIC status report on the rubber boa Charina bottae in Canada, in COSEWIC assessment and status report on the rubber boa Charina bottae in Canada. Habitat: Grassland, woodland and forests. Predicted Distribution Reptiles do not migrate as some birds and mammals, so the colored areas depict the predicted range for the Rubber Boa year-round. The back is uniformly brown, sometimes slightly greyish, yellow, or green and the belly is a creamy yellow colour. The male adult grows to a maximum of 21 inches and can weigh 80 grams maximum. Northern Rubber Boa, Rubber Boa, Southern Rubber Boa, BottaNorthern Rubber Boa, Bottae, Umbratica: Southern Rubber Boa Biology . And because these snakes are not aggressive, they are often trafficked, with many dying in captivity because of poor holding conditions. rubber boa habitat was found on the site, there is habitat suitable for the southern rubber boa within a 100 meter buffer. The rubber boa occurs in a variety of habitats, from desert scrub, foothill woodlands, and grasslands through deciduous and coniferous forests. These snakes spend a lot of their time under logs, rocks, or in burrows so can be hard to find! Common gartersnakes are only found in southern parts of the park. Racers also have larger eyes than rubber boas and round pupils. Although the Calabar python, Calabaria reinhardtii has been included in Charina , recent phylogenetic analyses based on DNA have shown that it does not belong to this genus. Boa constrictors are polygynous, which means that males may mate with multiple females. During the breeding season, the female boa emits pheromones from her cloaca to attract males, which may then wrestle to select one to breed with her. Contact the Park. It is an Animal Ambassador and is used in public and school programs. The major habitat requirement of the Rubber Boa are rocky outcrops and an abundance of coarse woody debris which the snakes use for protective cover and to aid in thermoregulation. Metadata (Data about data or how the map was made) Legend: = Core Habitat = Marginal Habitat. Native Habitat; Rubber boas can be found in a very wide range of different habitats from the open pockets in coniferous rainforests of the Pacific Northwest to the dry arid mountains of southern California. The southern rubber boa is only found in California (the green areas marked on the map). Scientific name: Charina bottae PDF version of this page . One may also find it at dusk and dawn. Behavior. It prefers loose soil that it can burrow into. It is absent from the immediate vicinity of the coast north of Coos Bay. Habitat. What they eat . A boa of cool northwestern North America, found from central California north into British Columbia, Canada and east to northern Nevada, Utah and Colorado. On the Los Padres, the intergrade rubber boa is associated with forested areas from 6,500 to 8,000 feet in elevation, including Frazier, Tecuya, and Antimony peaks, Mount Pinos west to Cerro Noroeste, and Alamo Mountain. Latin Name Charina bottae HISTORY OF RUBBER BOA AT CURIODYSSEY Our Rubber boa was captive hatched in 2005 and donated to CuriOdyssey in 2007. Western Skink Species Guide. Developed for Kamloops BC Timber Sales. Rubber boas are found as many at sea level as 8000 feet above the average sea level! The brown, 45-cm (18-inch) rubber boa (Charina bottae) of western North America is the most northerly boa and is a burrower that looks and feels rubbery. Young snakes are pink or tan. Between 35 and 80 cm long and fairly thick-bodied, the Rubber Boa resembles a rubbery tube with a slight taper at each end – similar in shape to what you’d roll out of a ball of clay. They generally breed in the dry season - between April and August. 5pp. Rubber Boa Charina bottae. Range: Southern British Columbia, eastern Washington and Oregon, north eastern California, northern Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and northern and central parts of Utah. The skin is smooth, shiny and wrinkled with a rubbery look and feel. The Southern rubber boa is a subspecies of the latter is found only in coniferous riparian forests in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains. The rubber boa occupies a vast array of habitats which range from meadows and chaparral, grasslands to deciduous and conifer woods and perhaps even high alpine configurations. These hibernation sites were in the surrounding forest rather than in the open areas that the snakes used during the summer (St. Clair 1999). Last updated: July 21, 2020. They have loose, wrinkly looking skin which is how it got its name. Like many snakes, this species requires open habitats for thermoregulation and rocks and woody debris for shelter. Logging is i big problem because people cut down trees to get wood, and the effect caused for the rubber boa is that a lot of the trees it uses for shade or for shelter will be lost. Rubber boas are close cousins of the rosy boas and are also found in North America. The proposed project site is a 7.8 acre area (Tentative Tract Map No. The sagebrush lizard is the only lizard in Yellowstone. Prefer to spend much of their time in cooler and moist areas like under logs, rocks, and rodent burrows. It is also found in moist sandy areas along rocky streams. The Northern Rubber Boa is found in a variety of habitats, including woodlands, montane forests and grasslands. It generally inhabits grassland, woodland, and forest habitats from sea level to 9,200 feet. The Rubber Boa is adapted to climbing trees using its belly muscles. A small cap on the blunt tail makes it hard to distinguish head from tail.. Rubber Boa can be found from southern British Columbia to California and as far east as Idaho, western Utah, and Montana. The Rubber Boa’s Size. You can find a variety of Sand Boas across the world, despite the fact that only 13 different species exist! Eyes are very tiny with vertical "cat's eye" pupils. Sagebrush Lizard. Like all other reptiles, the female of the species is more robust than the male. Sea level to 9,200 feet. The Rubber Boa's low reproductive rate and the patchy distribution of habitat could reduce populations to disconnected pockets of individuals. What are we doing to help this species? Rubber Boa. 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