Reptile · GBIF taxon 2450972
Round Island Burrowing Boa
Bolyeria multocarinataAlso known as Round Island Boa, Mauritian Burrowing Boa
Round Island burrowing boas were unique fossorial snakes possessing a divided maxilla, a specialized jointed upper jaw found only within splitjaw snakes. They spent their lives tunneling through loose topsoil and leaf litter beneath hardwood forests and palm savannas, ambushing native geckos and skinks. Severe soil erosion triggered by introduced rabbits and goats stripped away their burrowing habitat, driving the species to extinction during the 1970s.
BurrowingEndemic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Telfair's skink
- Round Island day gecko
- Guenther's gecko
Predators
- Introduced feral goats
- Introduced European rabbits
ThreatsHabitat destruction and soil erosion caused by introduced rabbits and goats.
HabitatsSubtropical coastal scrub, palm savannas, and deep leaf litter on volcanic soil.
Life spanEstimated 10–15 years
Classification
- FamilyBolyeriidae
- SpeciesBolyeria multocarinata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe; this species is extinct.
Responsible observation
- Museum Collections: Study preserved specimens in major natural history museums.
- Historical Habitat: Support ongoing native vegetation restoration on Round Island.
Prey no rights reserved, uploaded by Simon Tonge · cc0
Prey No machine-readable author provided. Jjargoud assumed (based on copyright claims). / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative (c) 2012 Simon J. Tonge, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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