Virgin Islands Tree Boa

Need more Virgin Islands Tree Boa facts? Enter your search terms Submit search form Featured Creature Dugong The dugong is also called the sea cow since it spends much of the time grazing on sea grass. It is believed that mermaid legends may have originated from dugong sightings by sailors who mistook them for half-human half-fish creatures. Learn more about the Dugong.   Join the Featured Creature Mailing List Would you like to receive a notice and link when the new Creature Feature is posted? Enter your e-mail address below:   HTML   Text-only Privacy Policy

Virgin Islands Tree Boa   ¹⁴⁰⁸³

Scientific Name:
Epicrates monensis granti

Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (British and US)

The Virgin Islands tree boa is a subspecies of the Mona boa (Epicrates monensis) and is only found in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is a small, non-venomous snake which grows to about 3.3 feet in length. Adults are brown in color with brown markings running along their body.

This species prefers subtropical dry forests for its habit. It hunts only at night, and eats mainly lizards found asleep in the trees. During the day, it rests in termite nests or under rocks and debris. The nocturnal habits of this species make it very inconspicuous and hard to locate. Mona boas are ovoviviparous, meaning the females incubate and hatch their eggs inside of their bodies, giving birth to live snakes. The female may produce between 8 to 20 young.

Threats to this species include habitat loss due to human development and the introduction of exotic predators such as rats and cats. A recovery plan has been developed by the US FWS, and conservation efforts include captive breeding programs and reintroduction of successfully captive-bred boas into the wild.