Rainbow Boa Care Sheet | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Updated January 31, 2023

Care sheet for Rainbow Boas (Epicrates Cenchria)

Argentine rainbow boas (Epicrates Cenchria) are considered to be one of the more beautiful snakes in the world.  Not only do they display vibrant orange and red coloration, but they also produce an abundant amount of Rainbow iridescences. Microscopic ridges on their scales that refract light cause this phenomenon. Rainbow boas inhabit a large geographical range including South America and lower Central America. The rainbow boa group currently (as of 2008) consist of five subspecies:

Brazilian, Peruvian, Espirito Santo  (E.C.Cenchria)

Paraguayan, Central Highlands (E.C Crassus)

Colombian, Marajo Island (E.C Mauro’s)

Coating (E.C Assisi)

Argentine (E.C Alexei)

However only two subspecies are imported regularly.  Brazilian rainbows (E.C. Cenchria), and Colombian rainbows (E.C. Maurus) are the most commonly kept rainbow boas.