Published February 14, 2024. Open access. | Gallery ❯ |
Western Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Boidae | Epicrates cenchria
English common names: Western Rainbow Boa, Brazilian Rainbow Boa.
Spanish common name: Boa arcoiris, boa tornasol.
Recognition: ♂♂ 185.5 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=165 cm. ♀♀ 192 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=170.5 cm..1 Epicrates cenchria is considered to be the most beautiful snake in the world.2 It can easily be identified from other boas based on its distinctive orange attire with a bluish iridescence. The back is bright orange-red with a series of sinuous black rings. The lower flanks are pale gray with ocelli consisting of a black ellipsis enclosing an orange-yellow crescent (Fig. 1).3 This species further differs from other boas by having three longitudinal dark stripes on top of the head as well as heat-sensing pits in the lower and anterior upper labials.1,4 Unlike the tree-boas (genus Corallus), E. cenchria has a rounded, instead of laterally compressed, body.1
Figure 1: Individuals of Epicrates cenchria from Ecuador: Aguas Negras Lodge, Sucumbíos province (); Napo Wildlife Center, Orellana province (); Curaray medio, Pastaza province (); unknown locality, Morona Santiago province (). j=juvenile.
Natural history: Epicrates cenchria is a primarily terrestrial boid, with juveniles being more arboreal than adults.1,4,5 The species occurs in pristine rainforests, but also ventures into disturbed habitats such as pastures, rural gardens, and man-made structures near the forest.4–7 Rainbow Boas exhibit both diurnal and nocturnal habits and forage primarily on the rainforest floor, but may also utilize shrubs, branches, and logs up to 9 m above the ground.3–5 Active individuals have been seen crossing trails, roads, and streams as well as coiled in ambush posture on shrubs.4,5 Semi-aquatic activity has also been reported, with individuals being found submerged in forest pools4 or swimming in streams.5 When not active, they seek shelter in ground burrows,3 tree holes, inside rotten logs, or in leaf-litter.4,8 They utilize both active foraging and ambush strategies to capture prey. Seized prey is wrapped by body coils and constricted until suffocation. Prey items include primarily mammals such as rodents,4,8,9 porcupines,10 and bats,4,11,12 but also birds13 and their eggs,4,14 lizards, and amphibians.15 Bats are ambushed on trees, at the entrance of caves, or in abandoned houses.4,5,11,12 Domestic animals such as chickens are also frequently consumed.4,16 When threatened, individuals usually make an S-coil and strike.4 They can also adopt a “protective ball posture.”5 There are recoded instances of predation on members of this species by canids (Short-eared Dog17 and Crab-eating Fox18) and raptors.19 The breeding season in E. cenchria occurs from late March to late September, and births occur from from December to March.20 During courtship, the males use the pelvic spurs, which are usually larger than those of females’.21 After a gestation period of 5–8 months,21,22 females “give birth” (the eggs hatch within the mother) to 4–25 young.21–24 This species is capable of facultative parthenogenesis, meaning embryos can develop from unfertilized eggs.23 In captivity, individuals can live up to 22 years.23
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..25 Epicrates cenchria is listed in this category because the species has large, stable populations and a wide distribution that includes numerous protected areas.25 Ongoing threats include traffic mortality26 and poaching for the international trade of exotic wildlife.
Distribution: Epicrates cenchria is widely distributed throughout the Amazon rainforest in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador (Fig. 2), French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The species also occurs in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.27
Figure 2: Distribution of Epicrates cenchria in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Epicrates comes from the Greek word epikrates (=strong one).28 The specific epithet cenchria comes from the Greek word kenchris (a kind of hawk),28 and probably refers to the face pattern.
See it in the wild: Western Rainbow Boas are seen at a rate of about once every few weeks throughout their area of distribution in Ecuador. Prime localities for this species include Limoncocha Biological Reserve, Yasuní Scientific Station, and Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve.
Special thanks to Amanda Hartley for symbolically adopting the Western Rainbow Boa and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
Click here to adopt a species.
Author: Alejandro ArteagaaAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieirabAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,cAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Arteaga A (2024) Western Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/MPYQ4819
Literature cited:
- Duellman WE (1978) The biology of an equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 65: 1–352.
- Murphy JB (2014) Studies on pythons, boas and anacondas, dwarf boas, and Round Island splitjaw snakes in zoos and aquariums. Herpetological Review 45: 535–556.
- Duellman WE (2005) Cusco amazónico: the lives of amphibians and reptiles in an Amazonian rainforest. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 433 pp.
- Martins M, Oliveira ME (1998) Natural history of snakes in forests of the Manaus region, Central Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetological Natural History 6: 78–150.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Camper JD, Torres-Carvajal O, Ron SR, Nilsson J, Arteaga A, Knowles TW, Arbogast BS (2021) Amphibians and reptiles of Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary, Napo Province, Ecuador. Check List 17: 729–751.
- Dixon JR, Soini P (1986) The reptiles of the upper Amazon Basin, Iquitos region, Peru. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 154 pp.
- Medeiros de Pinho G, Oliveira de Lima D, Nogueira da Costa P, Dos Santos Fernandez FA (2009) Epicrates cenchria (Brazilian Rainbow Boa): diet. Herpetological Review 40: 354–355.
- Bernarde PS, Abe AS (2010) Food habits of snakes from Espigão do Oeste, Rondônia, Brazil. Biota Neotropica 10: 167–173.
- Photo by Nancy Overholtz.
- Ramos Donato C, Trindade Dantas MA, da Rocha PA (2012) Epicrates cenchria (Rainbow Boa): diet and foraging behavior. Herpetological Review 43: 343–344.
- Martin-Solano S, Toulkeridis T, Addison A, Pozo-Rivera WE (2016) Predation of Desmodus rotundus Geoffroy, 1810 (Phyllostomidae, Chiroptera) by Epicrates cenchria (Linnaeus, 1758) (Boidae, Reptilia) in an Ecuadorian Cave. Subterranean Biology 19: 41–50. DOI: 10.3897/subtbiol.19.8731
- Beebe W (1946) Field notes on the snakes of Kartabo, British Guiana, and Caripito, Venezuela. Zoologica 31: 11–52.
- Ferreto Fiorillo B (2019) Predation on eggs of the Gray Tinamou (Tinamus tao, Tinamiformes: Tinamidae) by the rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria, Serpentes: Boidae). Herpetology Notes 12: 79–81.
- Henderson RW (1993) On the diets of some arboreal boids. Herpetological Natural History 1: 91–96.
- Mansur Martinelli I (2011) Epicrates cenchria (Rainbow Boa): diet. Herpetological Review 42: 289–290.
- Photo by Diego Mosquera.
- Carvalho F, Ceron K, Bôlla DAS, Santos R, Miranda JMD, Zocche JJ (2017) Epicrates cenchria (Rainbow Boa): predation. Herpetological Review 48: 212.
- Ramírez-Jaramillo SM, Ramírez-Jaramillo JM (2020) Registros de ataque y depredación sobre anfibios y reptiles de Limoncocha, Amazonía norte de Ecuador. Acta Zoológica Lilloana 64: 65–72.
- Garcia VC, de Almeida-Santos SM (2022) Reproductive cycles of neotropical boid snakes evaluated by ultrasound. Zoo Biology 41: 74–83. DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21646
- van der Pols JJ (1987) Unexpected breeding of Epicrates cenchria cenchria. Litteratura Serpentium 7: 168–174.
- Hine RA (1988) Captive breeding of the Brazilian Rainbow Boa Epicrates cenchria cenchria. British Herpetological Society Bulletin 23: 25–29.
- Kinney ME, Wack RF, Grahn RA, Lyons L (2012) Parthenogenesis in a Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria cenchria). Zoo Biology 32: 172–176. DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21050
- de Fraga R, Lima AP, da Costa Prudente AL, Magnusson WE (2013) Guia de cobras da região de Manaus - Amazônia Central. Editopa Inpa, Manaus, 303 pp.
- Calderón M, Ortega A, Catenazzi A, Gagliardi G, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Nogueira CC, Schargel W, Rivas G (2020) Epicrates cenchria. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T15154721A15154747.en
- Medrano-Vizcaíno P, Brito-Zapata D, Rueda-Vera A, Jarrín-V P, García-Carrasco JM, Medina D, Aguilar J, Acosta-Buenaño N, González-Suárez M (2023) First national assessment of wildlife mortality in Ecuador: an effort from citizens and academia to collect roadkill data at country scale. Ecology and Evolution 13: e9916. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9916
- Nogueira CC, Argôlo AJS, Arzamendia V, Azevedo JA, Barbo FE, Bérnils RS, Bolochio BE, Borges-Martins M, Brasil-Godinho M, Braz H, Buononato MA, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Colli GR, Costa HC, Franco FL, Giraudo A, Gonzalez RC, Guedes T, Hoogmoed MS, Marques OAV, Montingelli GG, Passos P, Prudente ALC, Rivas GA, Sanchez PM, Serrano FC, Silva NJ, Strüssmann C, Vieira-Alencar JPS, Zaher H, Sawaya RJ, Martins M (2019) Atlas of Brazilian snakes: verified point-locality maps to mitigate the Wallacean shortfall in a megadiverse snake fauna. South American Journal of Herpetology 14: 1–274. DOI: 10.2994/SAJH-D-19-00120.1
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Epicrates cenchria in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Campamento Bajo Aguas Negras | Valderrama 2023 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Casacunte | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Florencia | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Las Verdes | Gutiérrez-Lamus et al. 2020 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Los Ángeles | Gutiérrez-Lamus et al. 2020 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Puerto Rico | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Reserva Doña Blanca | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Tres Esquinas | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Bajo Mansoyá | Cahueño & Barbosa 2022 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Nariño | Geopark Colombia & SGS Colombia 2022 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Pozo Piñuña | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Reserva La Isla Escondida | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Río Putumayo | AMNH 114716; VertNet |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Sinaí II Baldío | Cahueño & Barbosa 2022 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Vereda 35 | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Vereda La Unión | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Vereda San Carlos | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Arapicos | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | El Tiink | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Gualaquiza | KU 147193; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Macas | USNM 65485; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Macuma | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Palora | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Piamonte | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Puerto Morona, 4 km W of | Carvajal-Campos et al. 2022 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Río Llushin | USNM 204096; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Río Yasuní | Carvajal-Campos et al. 2022 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Santiago de Mendez | USNM 204097; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Shuin Mamus | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Sucúa | MCZ 145353; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Turula | AMNH 23278; examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Wisui | Chaparro et al. 2011 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Archidona | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Cotundo | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | El Chaco | Photo by Diego Piñán |
| Ecuador | Napo | Hidroeléctrica Coca Codo Sinclair | COCASINCLAIR 2013 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Huaorani Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Narupa Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Pozo Yuralpa Centro 1 | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Reserva Río Bigai | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Tena | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Wild Sumaco Lodge, 4 km S of | Camper et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yachana Reserve | Whitworth & Beirne 2011 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Ávila Viejo | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Bloque 31 | Libro PetroAmazonas |
| Ecuador | Orellana | El Coca | MHNG 2220.1; collection database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Hacienda Primavera | MHNG 2412.073; collection database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | La Joya de los Sachas | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Mandaripanga Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Pompeya, 4 km S of | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Pozo Ishpingo B | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Bigal Reserve | García et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Coca | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | San José de Payamino | Maynard et al. 2016 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Shiripuno Lodge | Photo by Jarold Vaca |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tiputini Biodiversity Station | Cisneros-Heredia 2003 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Vía Maxus, km 97 | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yasuní Scientific Station | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Arajuno | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Balsaura | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Camino al Puyo | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Campamento K26 | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Canelos | AMNH 35895; examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Conambo | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Curaray Medio | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Estación Agro-Ecológica Fátima | Proaño-Morales et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Juyuintza | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Kapawi Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Macas–Puyo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Mera | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Palta | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Paparawua | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Puyo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Shell | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Sumak Kawsay In Situ | Bentley et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Villano | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Aguas Negras Lodge | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Cuyabeno Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | El Eno, 500 m N of | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Estación de Bombeo 3 | Photo by Diego Piñán |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Estación de la Católica en Cuyabeno | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Garita Casa de Máquinas | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Güeppicillo | Yánez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Jambelí | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | La Selva Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lago Agrio | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Laguna Grande | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Las Pizarras | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Limoncocha Biological Reserve | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lumbaqui | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Napo Wildlife Center | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Remolino | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Güeppi | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sani Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Cecilia | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Tarapoa | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Tucan Lodge | Photo by Harry Turner |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Vía a Campo Alegre | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Copalinga | Reeves et al. |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | El Padmi | González et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Tunantza | Photo by Darwin Núñez |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Valle del Quimi | Betancourt et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Vía a Nuevo Paraíso | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Yantzaza | Cuerpo bomberos Yantzaza |
| Peru | Amazonas | Aguaruna Village | MVZ 163377; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | Aramango, 5 km NE of | LSUMZ 19602; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | Caterpiza | USNM 566709; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | Kusu | MVZ 163378; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | La Poza | MVZ 175301; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | Paagat | USNM 316567; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | Upper Río Comainas | USNM 525554; VertNet |
| Peru | Amazonas | Yutupis | USNM 566539; VertNet |
| Peru | Loreto | Aguas Negras | Yánez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |
| Peru | Loreto | Cerro de Kampankis | Catenazzi & Venegas 2016 |
| Peru | Loreto | Moropon | TCWC 42066; VertNet |
| Peru | Loreto | Redondococha | Yánez-Muñoz & Venegas 2008 |
| Peru | Loreto | Santa María | TCWC 42064; VertNet |