Rainbow Boa Epicrates cenchria

The Rainbow Boa is native to Central and South America, with several subspecies over its range. All have an iridescent glow when seen in a light that captures the structural colours of the scales.

They inhabit humid tropical forests and are part terrestrial, part arboreal. Males grow to some 4 feet long and females to over 6 feet (over 2 metres). Shown above is the nominal Brazilian Rainbow Boa subspecies, E. c. cenchria, native to much of the Amazon Basin, Venezuela and the Guiana Shield.

Shown above right is the Colombian Rainbow Boa subspecies, E. c. maurus, native to Colombia and neighbouring regions of northern South America.