Rubber Boa

The rubber boa is one of the northernmost-ranging boa species in the world, tolerating cooler temperatures than most of its tropical relatives. Its smooth, loose skin and blunt tail give it a distinctive rubbery appearance and a resemblance at both ends that can confuse would-be predators.

It is an exceptionally docile species and is harmless to humans. Its calm temperament and unusual, uniform appearance make it a frequently encountered curiosity in the forests of the American West.

• Uniform olive-brown, tan, or dark brown coloration above, often with a yellowish belly
• Smooth, shiny scales and loose-fitting skin that gives a wrinkled, rubbery texture
• Short, blunt tail that closely resembles the head, used to confuse predators
• Small eyes with vertically elliptical pupils
• Stout, cylindrical body with a small, blunt head barely distinct from the neck
• Adults typically 0.4-0.8 m, among the smallest boas in the world

Found in forests, woodlands, grasslands, and rocky slopes from sea level up to high mountain elevations, often near streams or moist microhabitats. Ranges from British Columbia south through the western United States, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of the Rocky Mountains. Spends much of its time underground, under logs, rocks, or leaf litter.

Primarily nocturnal and fossorial, though it may be active by day in cooler mountain habitats. When threatened, it curls into a ball, hiding its head and presenting its blunt tail, which mimics the head to confuse predators.

Diet consists mainly of small mammals, particularly young rodents and shrews, which it constricts, along with occasional lizards and bird eggs. It is a live-bearing species, giving birth to small litters of typically two to eight young.