Editing Rainbow boa

{{Short description|Species of snake}}
{{Redirect|Aboma|the monotypic fish taxon|Scaly boy}}
{{Distinguish|Rainbow snake (disambiguation){{!}}Rainbow snake}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = EpicratesCenchriaCenchria1.jpg
| image_caption = 
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref =<ref>{{cite iucn|author1=Calderón, M.|author2=Ortega, A.|author3=Catenazzi, A.|author4=Gagliardi, G.|author5=Cisneros-Heredia, D.F.|author6=Nogueira, C. de C.|author7=Schargel, W.|author8=Rivas, G.|year=2021|title=''Epicrates cenchria''|page=e.T15154721A15154747|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T15154721A15154747.en|access-date=15 August 2023}}</ref>
| genus = Epicrates
| species = cenchria
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| synonyms = {{hidden begin|title=Synonyms List}}
*''Boa cenchria'' <br>{{small|Linnaeus, 1754}}
*[''Boa''] ''Cenchria'' <br>{{small|Linnaeus, 1758}}
*''Coluber tamachia'' <br>{{small|[[Giovanni Antonio Scopoli|Scopoli]], 1788}}
*''Boa Cenchris'' <br>{{small|— [[Johann Friedrich Gmelin|Gmelin]], 1788}}
*''Boa aboma'' <br>{{small|[[François Marie Daudin|Daudin]], 1803}}
*''Boa ternatea'' <br>{{small|Daudin, 1803}}
*''Boa annulifer'' <br>{{small|Daudin, 1803}}
*[''Epicrates''] ''cenchria'' <br>{{small|— [[Johann Georg Wagler|Wagler]], 1830}}
*''Cliftia fusca'' <br>{{small|[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1849}}
*''Epicarsius cupreus'' <br>{{small|[[Johann Gustav Fischer|J.G. Fischer]], 1856}}
*''Epicarsius cupreus'' <br>{{small|— Brown, 1893}}
*''Epicrates cenchris'' <br>{{small|— [[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger]], 1893}}
*''Epicrates cenchria'' <br>{{small|— [[Lawrence Edmonds Griffin|Griffin]], 1916}}
*''Epicrates cenchria'' var. ''fusca'' <br>{{small|— Griffin, 1916}}
*''Epicrates cenchria cenchria'' <br>{{small|— [[:fr:Afrânio Pompílio Gastos do Amaral|Amaral]], 1930}}
*''Epicrates cenchria cenchria'' <br>{{small|— [[Olive Griffith Stull|Stull]], 1938}}
{{hidden end}}
| synonyms_ref =<ref name="McD99">[[:fr:Roy Wallace McDiarmid|McDiarmid RW]], [[Jonathan A. Campbell|Campbell]] JA, [[species:T'Shaka A. Touré|Touré TA]] (1999). ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).</ref>
}}

The '''rainbow boa''' ('''''Epicrates cenchria''''') is a [[Boinae|boa]] [[species]] [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[Central America|Central]] and South America. A semi-arboreal species (not only do they climb in the wild but also proven in captivity), it is known for its attractive [[iridescence|iridescent]]/holographic sheen caused by [[structural coloration]]. Five [[subspecies]] are currently recognized, including the [[Nominotypical subspecies|nominate subspecies]] described here.<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS|id=209561|taxon=''Epicrates cenchria ''|accessdate=10 July 2008}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
The rainbow boa is found in lower Central America (Costa Rica and Panama), and farther south into South America. It occurs east of the [[Andes]], roughly reaching northern Argentina (in the provinces [[Chaco Province|Chaco]], [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba]], [[Corrientes Province|Corrientes]], [[Formosa Province|Formosa]], [[Salta Province|Salta]], [[Santiago del Estero Province|Santiago del Estero]] and [[Tucumán Province|Tucumán]]).

The rainbow boa's habitat generally consists of humid woodlands and rainforests, but it can also be found in open savannas.

== Description ==
The rainbow boa is typically orange, brown, or reddish brown, with a paler belly and black markings: three parallel stripes on the head, rings down the back, and lateral blotches with a crescent over them, although there is a great deal of natural variation that may be heightened by artificial breeding. It is 4 to 6 feet in length<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Brazilian rainbow boa |url=https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/brazilian-rainbow-boa |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute |language=en}}</ref> and [[Sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]], as females are slightly longer and have wider abdomens. Males are stronger when compared with females of the same length and more resistant to handling.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lourdais |first=O. |last2=Shine |first2=R. |last3=Bonnet |first3=X. |last4=Brischoux |first4=F. |date=June 2006 |title=Sex differences in body composition, performance and behaviour in the Colombian rainbow boa ( Epicrates cenchria maurus , Boidae) |url=https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00057.x |journal=Journal of Zoology |language=en |volume=269 |issue=2 |pages=175–182 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00057.x |issn=0952-8369|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Behavior ==
Rainbow boas are nocturnal and most active in the middle of the night.

This species is semi-arboreal, spending time both on the ground and in trees. They are also known to spend time in bodies of water, and are considered capable swimmers.

=== Mating habits ===
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2023}}
The rainbow boa reaches sexual maturity at 1.2 meters for males and 1.4 meters for females, or when they're approximately 2.5 to 4 years old.<ref name=":0" /> Females need to be the correct size otherwise they could have complications during and after birth. Males can mate with multiple females which can be beneficial for reptile breeding.

==== Eating habits during breeding season ====
Males generally go without feeding during the mating season and females tend to eat smaller portions during the breeding season. In order to decrease the probability of birthing issues, females should be fed smaller rats/mice in order to save space for proper ova development.

It is not unusual for both sexes to go without eating during the mating season.

==Captivity==
The most common type of rainbow boa found in the pet trade is the Brazilian rainbow boa, ''E.&nbsp;c. cenchria''. During the 1980s and early 1990s, substantial numbers were exported from Suriname. Today, however, far fewer are exported, and most offered for sale are captive bred.<ref name="SNZP">[http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Brazilianrainbowboa.cfm Brazilian Rainbow Boa] at [http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ Smithsonian National Zoological Park]. Accessed 12 November 2008.</ref> With good care, a captive Brazilian rainbow boa can be expected to live for up to 30 years, but most live up to 20.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-04-25 |title=Brazilian rainbow boa |url=https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/brazilian-rainbow-boa |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=Smithsonian's National Zoo |language=en}}</ref>

==Subspecies==
{|cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;"
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Subspecies<ref name="ITIS"/>
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Taxon author<ref name="ITIS"/>
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Common name
!bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Geographic range
|-
|''Epicrates cenchria barbouri''
|[[Olive Griffith Stull|Stull]], 1938
|Marajo Island rainbow boa
|
|-
|''Epicrates cenchria cenchria''
|([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)
|Brazilian rainbow boa
|the Amazon Basin and in coastal Guiana, French Guiana, Suriname and southern Venezuela
|-
|''Epicrates cenchria gaigeae''
|Stull, 1938
|Peruvian rainbow boa
|
|-
|''Epicrates cenchria hygrophilus''
|[[:fr:Afrânio Pompílio Gastos do Amaral|Amaral]], 1935
|Espirito Santo rainbow boa
|
|-
|''Epicrates cenchria polylepis''
|Amaral, 1935
|Central Highlands rainbow boa
|
|-
|}

==Etymology==
The subspecific names ''barbouri'' and ''gaigeae'' are in honor of American herpetologists [[Thomas Barbour]] and [[Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige]], respectively.<ref name=EDR>[[species:Bo Beolens|Beolens, Bo]]; [[species:Michael Watkins|Watkins, Michael]]; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. {{ISBN|978-1-4214-0135-5}}. (''Epicrates cenchria alvarezi'', p. 6; <br>''E. c. barbouri'', p. 16; ''E. c. gaigeae'', p. 96).</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200" heights="200" perrow="3">
File:Rainbow boa peruvian.jpg|Peruvian subspecies (''E.&nbsp;c. gaigeae'')
File:Rainbow Boa (Epicrates centria).jpg|Brazilian rainbow boa at the [[Vancouver Aquarium]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]] (1893). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Boidæ ...'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (''Epicrates cenchris'', pp.&nbsp;94–96).
*[[:es:Marcos Abraham Freiberg|Freiberg M]] (1982). ''Snakes of South America''. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. {{ISBN|0-87666-912-7}}. (''Epicrates cenchria'', pp.&nbsp;87–88, 125-127 + photographs on pp.&nbsp;18–19, 22-23, 45).
*[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus C]] (1758). ''Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, dierentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata.'' Stockholm: L. Salvius. 824 pp. (''Boa cenchria'', new species, p.&nbsp;215). (in Latin).

==External links==
*{{Commons-inline|Epicrates cenchria}}
*{{NRDB species|genus=Epicrates|species=cenchria|date=10 July|year=2008}}
*{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Aboma|short=x}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q281531}}

[[Category:Epicrates]]
[[Category:Snakes of South America]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]