Reptile
Northern Rubber Boa
Charina bottaeAlso known as Coastal Rubber Boa, Rubber Boa
Northern rubber boas are renowned for their smooth, loose skin that gives them a distinctively rubbery appearance in shades of tan, brown, or olive. Remarkably cold-tolerant, these secretive constrictors thrive in cool montane forests, moist woodlands, and rocky meadows across western North America. Mothers use their blunt, heavily scarred tails to fend off adult rodents while feeding on newborn pups in underground nests.
NocturnalDocileCold-Tolerant
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyMice, Shrews, Lizard eggs
Predators
- Hawks
- Raccoons
- Coyotes
ThreatsHabitat loss, road mortality, and severe wildfires
HabitatsConiferous forests, oak woodlands, chaparral, and montane meadows
Life span30–50 years
Classification
- FamilyBoidae
- SpeciesCharina bottae
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Habitat Respect: Return overturned logs and rocks to their exact original position.
- Gently Observing: Watch silently from a distance as it crawls through forest leaf litter.
Competitor Benjamin Genter / Public domain · cc0
Close Relative (c) nmoorhatch, some rights reserved (CC BY) / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
Close Relative 5snake5 / CC0 · cc0
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