Rose boa
| Rose boa | ||||||||||||
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Rose boa ( Lichanura trivirgata saslowi ) |
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| Lichanura trivirgata | ||||||||||||
| Cope , 1861 |
The rose boa ( Lichanura trivirgata ), also three-striped rose boa , is a small representative of the boas (Boidae) and forms with the northern rose boa ( Lichanura orcutti ) the genus Lichanura in the subfamily Charininae . It reaches a total length of seldom more than 90 cm and inhabits dry savannahs and hilly landscapes in the southwest of the USA and in northwest Mexico, including Baja California .
Terra typica : Cabo San Lucas, Baja California
Rose boas are active at twilight and at night. They spend the day hidden under stones and in caves or buried in the ground. Their reproduction takes place ovoviviparously , the females give birth to an average of 5 young per litter.
In captivity, rose boas can live to be around 15 years old.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of the rose boa ( Lichanura trivirgata ) has been subject to repeated revisions in recent years:
- Lichanura trivirgata COPE 1861
- [...]
- Charina trivirgata SMART 1993
- Lichanura trivirgata LINER 1994
- Charina trivirgata MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999
- Lichanura trivirgata WOOD et al. 2008
The epithet is composed of tri-virgatus. The Latin prefix tri- means “three”, virgatus (Latin) “braided” (derived from virgae - “rod”). The most common translation into German is "three-striped". In the context used here, virgatus refers to the mostly red-brown longitudinal stripes of the rose boas.
Lichanura is made up of lichanos : "index finger" and oura : "tail".
Subspecies
Five to six subspecies can currently be considered valid.
- Lichanura trivirgata trivirgata , synonyms: Lichanura bostici SPITERI 1991
- Appearance: smooth-edged dark brown to almost black strong stripes on a beige to khaki background;
- Occurrence: Sonora in Mexico, southern Arizona, islands Cedros and Natividad in the Gulf of California, Baja California Sur
- Lichanura trivirgata arizonae
- Appearance: smooth-edged brown stripes on the back, two brown spots on each ventral scale and one on each subcaudal shield
- Occurrence: western and central Arizona
- Lichanura trivirgata gracia , synonyms: Lichanura myriolepis COPE 1861; [ Lichanura trivirgata myriolepis SPITERI 1991, noun nudum (!)]
- Appearance: Stripes with irregular edges and many small dots and spots in the light spaces, different color tones;
- Occurrence: southern California, southwestern Arizona, Baja California Sur
- Lichanura trivirgata myriolepis
- Occurrence: Northern half of Baja California
- Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca
- Appearance: sometimes pale stripes, often gray-brown, on a grayish to bluish-brown background, the edges of the stripes are irregular and the light areas are interspersed with dark spots, sometimes almost monochrome drawing
- Occurrence: southwestern California, northern half of Baja California
- Lichanura trivirgata saslowi
- Appearance: smooth-edged dark brown, cinnamon to orange stripes on a beige background, eye fan orange and gray
- Occurrence: northern Baja California
Protection status
Rose boas are listed in Appendix B of the European Species Protection Ordinance . In Germany, rose boas may then be kept without a permit, but according to the Federal Species Protection Ordinance, the keeping must be reported to the relevant state authority.
Keeping and offspring
Rose boas are relatively easy to keep and easy to breed snakes. Their small size, their absolute harmlessness and their low care requirements make them ideal for less experienced reptile owners.
As a terrarium we recommend container sizes of approx. 100 × 50 cm base and 60–80 cm height for a couple. Rose boas prefer to live on the ground and rarely climb. Sand is suitable as a substrate, untreated beech chips are better. Rose boas like to dig in the ground.
As residents of arid landscapes, rose boas are relatively sensitive to excessively high humidity. A relative humidity of over 60% should be avoided in the terrarium. Occasional showering, however, does not harm the animals at all. Rose boas also rarely bathe, so an appropriately sized water bowl should not be missing.
Rose boas like it warm most of the year. A heat stone is well suited if it does not develop too much heat. The daytime temperatures should be between 26 and 30 ° C, at night the temperature can drop to around 20 ° C (room temperature).
Rose boas need a hibernation of around 2–3 months. Successful breeding can already be achieved if the lighting is switched off for this period and the temperatures in the terrarium do not exceed 18 to 21 ° C. However, a real winter rest at around 12 ° C is better.
In the wild, rose boas give birth to their young around September; a litter usually consists of 5–6 young.
literature
Terrariums
- Jerry G. Walls [Translator: Elké and Thomas Ulber]: Small boas - the genera Charina, Lichanura, Eryx, Candoia in the terrarium. Ruhmannsfelden: Bede-Verl., 1995. - ISBN 3-927997-89-7
- Karl H. Switak: dwarf boas of North America: in nature and terrarium. TI Magazine (138): 39-44, 1997
Knowledge literature
- Cope, ED : Contributions to the ophidiology of Lower California, Mexico and Central America. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. 13: 292-306, 1861
- Spiteri, David E .: The subspecies of Lichanura trivirgata: Why the confusion? Bull. Chicago Herpetol. Soc. 26: 153-156, 1991
- McDiarmid, RW; Campbell, JA & Touré, TA: Snake species of the world. Vol. 1. Herpetologists' League, 511 pp, 1999
Individual evidence
Web links
- Lichanura trivirgata in The Reptile Database
- Lichanura trivirgata inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Hammerson, GA, Frost, DR & Gadsden, H., 2007. Retrieved January 30, 2014.