Rubber Boa Snakes In Washington State

Gopher snake pacific gopher snake pituophis catenifer catenifer.

Rubber boa snakes in washington state.

Female northern rubber boas give live birth to two to eight young in the late summer or fall. Nonvenomous but can be aggressive. They tend to be habitat generalists so finding one under a rock or log in the forest or field is possible. These characteristics give the snakes a rubber like look and texture.

The family boidae consists of the nonvenomous snakes commonly called boas and consists of 43 species. Young are born from july through september and fend for themselves after hatching. Adults reach 180 centimetres 71 in. Reproduction courtship and mating occurs shortly after snakes emerge from hibernation.

15 33 inches 38 84 cm weight. Dark brown to tan back. All other washington snakes lay eggs in protected areas where the eggs receive enough external heat to hatch. Northern rubber boas can also feed on lizard and snake eggs.

Racers are most often found in dry sunny areas with cover including open woodland open fields hedgerows thickets and wood edges. Each baby snake weighs only 7 5 grams and is 7 to 11 inches long. No longer present in washington. Young northern rubber boas move out during spring after their first hibernation and reach maturity at around 2 to 3.

Bull snake great basin gopher snake pituophis catenifer deserticola. Garter snakes rubber boas and western rattlesnakes bear live young from eggs retained in the body until hatching. It s a pacific northwest specialty. I found a snake of some kind on the pacific crest trail in washington state.

Henri marie ducrotay de blainville described the rubber boa in 1835. Ventral side yellow olive green to orange. They are one of the smaller boa species. I m local to the area and have never seen a tan color snake.

Rubber boas are nonvenomous snakes native to north america. Young are born pinkish but darken as they age. The western yellow bellied racer coluber constrictor mormon is a subspecies that can be found in eastern washington as well as california nevada western colorado oregon and southern british columbia. Young are born from july through september and fend for themselves.

Garter snakes rubber boas and western rattlesnakes bear live young from eggs retained in the body until hatching. Botta an italian ship s surgeon explorer and naturalist. Three additional snakes in washington state get less attention because they live away from population centers and are somewhat secretive in their nature. Coastal rubber boa northern rubber boa two headed snake.

The first picture shows a northern rubber boa. The only snakes i m used to seeing are garter snakes. 1 23 2 47 oz 35 70 g color.