Snake Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ snakes from around the world — with family, range, size, habitat, and how to tell similar species apart.
Abaco Island Boa
A population of Bahamian boa specifically associated with the Abaco Islands in the northern Bahamas.
Amazon Tree Boa
A slender, highly variable arboreal boa of the Amazon rainforest, known for its extraordinary range of color morphs and prehensile, tree-dwelling lifestyle.
Anaconda
One of the heaviest snakes on Earth, a massive semi-aquatic constrictor of South American rivers and swamps.
Annulated Tree Boa
A slender, ring-patterned arboreal boa found in Central American and northwestern South American forests, named for the ring-like blotches along its body.
Arabian Sand Boa
A small, stout burrowing boa adapted to the sand dunes and gravel deserts of the Arabian Peninsula.
Argentine Rainbow Boa
A southern member of the rainbow boa group native to drier habitats of Argentina and neighboring countries, notable for its iridescent scales and relatively subdued coloration.
Bengal Sand Boa
A stout, burrowing South Asian boa with rough, patterned scales and a blunt tail.
Blomberg's Tree Boa
A slender, less commonly encountered tree boa native to western Ecuador and Colombia, named after Swedish explorer Rolf Blomberg.
Boa Constrictor
A large, adaptable New World constrictor found across a wide range of tropical and subtropical habitats.
Bolivian Anaconda
A recently described anaconda species from the Bolivian lowlands, considered by some to be a possible hybrid population.
Brazilian Rainbow Boa
A vividly patterned constrictor famous for the iridescent sheen of its scales, which produces a rainbow-like shimmer in direct sunlight.
Calabar Boa
A cylindrical, burrowing boa-like snake from West and Central Africa with a distinctive blunt tail used to confuse predators.
Calabar Burrowing Python
A stout, secretive burrowing snake of West and Central Africa whose blunt tail mimics its head.
Central American Boa
A widespread, adaptable boa found from Mexico through Central America, closely related to the South American boa constrictor.
Coastal Rosy Boa
A small desert-and-scrub boa from coastal Southern California, recognized by its three longitudinal stripes.
Colombian Rainbow Boa
A medium-sized boa prized for its iridescent sheen, which produces a rainbow-like shimmer on its scales under direct light.
Common Sand Boa
A short, stout, patterned burrowing boa common across dry and semi-arid regions of the Indian subcontinent.
Crooked-Acklins Boa
A West Indian boa endemic to the Crooked Island and Acklins Island group in the southern Bahamas.
Cuban Boa
The largest native snake in Cuba, a powerful constrictor known for hunting bats at cave entrances and adapting to a range of habitats across the island.
Cuban Dwarf Boa
A small, thick-bodied Cuban endemic known for feigning death and even releasing blood from its eyes as a dramatic defense.
Dark-Spotted Anaconda
A rare, poorly known anaconda species restricted to coastal marshes of northeastern Brazil and French Guiana.
Dumeril's Boa
A robust ground boa endemic to Madagascar, named after French zoologist Auguste Dumeril and known for its heavily patterned camouflage.
Dwarf Sand Boa
A small, sandy-colored burrowing boa widespread across Central Asian deserts and steppe, one of the more common sand boas in the region.
Egyptian Sand Boa
A stout, burrowing boa of arid African and Middle Eastern regions, easily recognized by its blunt tail, small eyes set high on the head, and habit of ambushing prey from beneath the sand.
Emerald Tree Boa
A vivid green, arboreal boa of the Amazon rainforest, prized for its striking coloration and specialized ambush-hunting posture.
Espirito Santo Rainbow Boa
A regional form of Brazilian rainbow boa from eastern Brazil known for its iridescent sheen and vivid patterning.
Fiji Boa
The largest species in the genus Candoia, native to Fiji and found also in the Solomon Islands.
Ford's Boa
A tiny, rough-scaled leaf-litter dwarf boa from the wet forests of the Choco region, rarely seen due to its cryptic habits.
Green Anaconda
One of the world's heaviest snakes, a massive semi-aquatic constrictor of South American rivers and wetlands.
Grenada Bank Tree Boa
An arboreal boa endemic to Grenada and its associated Grenadine islands, adapted to island forest habitats and closely related to mainland Corallus species.
Haitian Boa
A large constrictor native to the island of Hispaniola, adaptable to varied habitats from forest to rocky terrain and known for its variable striped or blotched patterning.
Indian Sand Boa
A robust, two-headed-looking burrowing boa from South Asia, prized historically for folklore and traditional beliefs about its blunt tail.
Jamaican Boa
Jamaica's largest native snake, a constrictor known locally as the 'yellow snake' for its coloration, and considered vulnerable due to introduced predators.
Javelin Sand Boa
A stocky, sand-dwelling boa found from the Balkans and North Africa through the Middle East, named for its pointed, javelin-like snout.
Kenyan Sand Boa
A stout, burrowing boa of East African savannas and deserts, recognized by its bold saddle-like pattern and spade-shaped head suited for digging through sand.
Madagascar Ground Boa
A large, heavy-bodied terrestrial boa endemic to Madagascar, distinguished from its tree-dwelling relative by its stouter build and ground-dwelling habits.
Madagascar Tree Boa
An arboreal, heavy-bodied boa endemic to Madagascar, known for its variable green, brown, or reddish coloration and strong prehensile tail.
Marajo Rainbow Boa
A rainbow boa population native to Marajo Island in the Amazon River delta, displaying the characteristic iridescent sheen of its genus.
Mona Boa
A small West Indian boa endemic to Mona Island and nearby islands in the Puerto Rican bank.
Northern Emerald Tree Boa
A vividly green arboreal boa of the northern Amazon rainforest, famous for its bright coloration, prominent white markings, and elongated front teeth adapted for gripping birds and mammals.
Northern Eyelash Boa
A small, heavily keeled forest-floor boa from Central and South America named for the spiny scales above its eyes.
Northern Green Anaconda
One of the world's largest and heaviest snakes, this massive semi-aquatic constrictor dominates the rivers and wetlands of the Amazon and Orinoco basins.
Oaxacan Dwarf Boa
A rare, small forest boa endemic to a limited cloud forest region of Oaxaca, Mexico, and known from relatively few specimens.
Pacific Ground Boa
A small, variably colored ground boa found across New Guinea and nearby Indo-Pacific islands.
Palau Ground Boa
A lesser-known Pacific ground boa whose taxonomy and precise range have historically been debated among herpetologists.
Panamanian Dwarf Boa
A small arboreal dwarf boa closely associated with Panama's tropical forests, sharing much of its biology with the Central American Dwarf Boa.
Puerto Rican Boa
A large, nocturnal boa endemic to Puerto Rico, considered threatened due to habitat loss and historically classified as a federally listed species of concern.
Rainbow Boa
A South American boa renowned for its iridescent sheen, which produces a shimmering rainbow effect in direct sunlight.