Rosy Rosy Boa
IUCN: Least Concern
The rosy boa (Lichinura trivirgata) lives in southwestern United States and in northern Baja California and Sonora in Mexico. It's one of the smallest snakes in the constrictor family, and also one of the slowest snakes in the world!
Rosy boas can be recognized by the three stripes that run the length of their bodies (hence the species name trivirgata, or 'three rods'). The colors of the stripes vary enough so that some herpetologists (scientists who study reptiles and amphibians) have identified five or more rosy boa subspecies based on their location and coloration. Rosy's stripes are much less pronounced than is often seen in rosy boas that sport vivid reds and oranges contrasted with creamy or beige stripes.
Snakes like Rosy have a forked tongue and a special sensory gland on the roof of their mouth called a Jacobson's organ. They use these in combination to collect collects scents and other particles from the air and the surfaces they're on. Gathering this information about their surroundings lets them know if there's food, danger, or a potential mate nearby.
Fun Fact: How slow is slow? Rosy boas reach a top speed of about one mile per hour! Mechanically, rosy boas move more like an inchworm or a caterpillar than what we see in the quick S-shaped swish of faster snakes.
Rosy boas can be recognized by the three stripes that run the length of their bodies (hence the species name trivirgata, or 'three rods'). The colors of the stripes vary enough so that some herpetologists (scientists who study reptiles and amphibians) have identified five or more rosy boa subspecies based on their location and coloration. Rosy's stripes are much less pronounced than is often seen in rosy boas that sport vivid reds and oranges contrasted with creamy or beige stripes.
Snakes like Rosy have a forked tongue and a special sensory gland on the roof of their mouth called a Jacobson's organ. They use these in combination to collect collects scents and other particles from the air and the surfaces they're on. Gathering this information about their surroundings lets them know if there's food, danger, or a potential mate nearby.
Fun Fact: How slow is slow? Rosy boas reach a top speed of about one mile per hour! Mechanically, rosy boas move more like an inchworm or a caterpillar than what we see in the quick S-shaped swish of faster snakes.