Rubber Boa Northern

The Northern Rubber Boa is a small, uniformly colored boa found across cooler forested and mountainous regions of the western United States and southwestern Canada. It is one of only a few boa species native to North America.

Known for its calm temperament and smooth, wrinkled skin that resembles rubber, this snake is completely non-venomous and considered one of the gentlest snakes in its range.

• Cylindrical, thick body with smooth, glossy scales
• Uniform olive-green, brown, or tan coloration without pattern
• Short, blunt tail resembling the head, used to confuse predators
• Small eyes with vertical pupils and a small, blunt head barely distinct from the neck
• Adults typically 40-80 cm in length

Occurs in coniferous forests, grasslands, and rocky slopes from British Columbia south through California and into parts of Utah and Wyoming. Found at elevations from sea level up to over 3,000 meters, often near moist microhabitats such as rotting logs or leaf litter.

Primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, though it may be active during the day in cooler climates. It feeds on small mammals, especially nestling rodents, as well as lizards and salamanders, subduing prey by constriction. Extremely docile, it rarely bites and instead curls into a ball, hiding its head while presenting its blunt tail. It is live-bearing, producing small litters of 2-8 young.