#charina bottae

[snototter]

A coastal rubber boa (Charina bottae) in California, USA

by Rye Jones

[darlingdeadadornment]

Rubber Boa copper cast amulet

DarlingDeadAdornment.com

[animalids]

Northern rubber boa (Charina bottae)

Photo by fotosynthesys

[shoelacecollection]

Good ol’ Worm on his first trip outside.

[hinry]

Charina bottae, rubber boa, the friendliest snake I have ever encountered

Bear Creek Recreation Area, Bitterroot Mountains, Montana

6 June 2017

[shoelacecollection]

Worm

Worm is... microscopic. While she is growing, she's still small enough that anyone who sees her usually starts laughing. She's about one pencil in size -- and she has finally become wider than one, too, we're all very proud. In spite of her diminutive size, Worm is the most specially adapted freak of nature out there, and I love her with my whole heart. Pull up a chair and get comfy, friend, while I tell you all about the harsh world of the Rubber Boa.

Facts About Worm (charina bottae)

Worm is a Rubber Boa, one of two species of Boidae (boa) native to North America (the other being the Rosy Boa.) They are docile snakes even in the wild, with a reputation for being unwilling to bite. I only know of one person who has actually taken a bite from a Rubber Boa, and it's solely because the snake missed their mouse -- they are truly one of the most docile species you can meet.

Because they are a native species, there are special laws pertaining to their keeping. Check your local laws if you are interested in keeping one for yourself -- depending on the state where you live, you may either be barred from owning this species, or barred from breeding and selling them, in addition to a limit to how many you may possess at one time. As I live outside of the native range of this species, it is permissable to keep the Worm! For... the rest of the world, I truly wish you luck in even finding one -- this species is frustratingly difficult to track down even domestically.

Since I know the question is coming, she's from a clutch Ken Foose (of Las Vegas Exotic Pets) produced in late 2016-early 2017, and to my knowledge he does not have any this year (2018.) Check with Cold-Blooded Industries if you're set on this, but be warned that their waiting list is 2 years deep -- it took me three years to find the Worm. Keep your pulse on the community classifieds (kingsnake.com, faunaclassifieds, morphmarket) -- I see a few posted every year. Hang in there!

Rubber Boas, because of the climate in which they live, are specially adapted, and thrive in significantly cooler temperatures than most any other snake -- and on top of this, they all but require a period of cooling in the winter months during which they brumate (like hibernation, their metabolism slows.) While it's not strictly necessary, in my experience they would much prefer to brumate, and the Worm goes off food until it warms back up outside of her own accord. Follow your snake's cues as to their needs! It is because of these differences that I personally feel that Rubber Boas are not a beginner species in any sense despite their docility, as their quirks will give a novice a heart attack.

Case and point, the Worm didn't eat for the first six months of her time with me. That's normal for this species. They hatch with a great deal of yolk late in the year, and tend to go right to brumation, overwintering only on the stores they hatch with. They are specialized feeders, even then, raiding nests of rats and mice and eating their young, often many at once, and then digesting for a long time before they hunt their next meal, and while they will eat other things if they find them, they have slower metabolisms than something like a Corn Snake. And what's more, wild males take this extreme even further, as they don't eat during the breeding season either -- which means that they generally eat their fill during a span of three months, from June to August. Though they are small, sweet snakes, Rubber Boas are incredible survivors.

Worm is a pencil. Look at an unsharpened pencil, and there you have the length and width of the Worm. We're hoping she makes it to Sharpie by year's end. Like Dumeril's Boas, these sweet snakes grow slowly. One day, even the tiny Worm will become a real snake...

The worm loves to burrow. She spends much of her day tunneling through her substrate, and there are innumerable burrows and caverns under the furniture of her enclosure that she painstakingly eked out in-between cleanings.

Worm also loves to climb, and tends to spend summer nights off the ground and up in her fake plant or perched on a stick.

The Worm doesn't like to swim much, but she's certainly capable of it if the mood took her. She does, however, enjoy hiding in long hair, especially if it is brown like her.

You can see the worm's organs a little through her stomach. It's only a little terrible. Her color lightens and darkens through her shed cycle, growing very dark right before a shed.

During the brumation season, the worm vanishes into her substrate, only emerging for a drink of water now and then. In the warm months, she's active as can be, and surprisingly quick!

The Worm was named by good ol @agendersplendor, and I am very grateful!

Ask me a question about Worm here, and I can add it to this list! Feel free to query me about Rubber Boa specific questions, too... I know that resources for these fellows are a little difficult to find.

[ainawgsd]

The rubber boa (Charina bottae) is a species of snake in the family Boidae. The species is native to the Western United States and British Columbia, Canada. Rubber boas are the most Northerly of Boa species. The rubber boa is a primitive snake compared to its much larger relatives native to Latin America, which include the boa constrictor, emerald tree boa, and green anaconda. The rubber boa has retained the club-like tail of its Erycine ancestors. It is an extremely adaptable snake. It is a good climber, burrower, and even swimmer.

 The family Boidae consists of the nonvenomous snakes commonly called boas and consists of 43 species. The genus Charina consists of two species, both of which are found in North America. Charina bottae is sometimes also known as the coastal rubber boa or the northern rubber boa and is not to be confused with the southern rubber boa.

Rubber boas are one of the smaller boa species, adults can be anywhere from 1.25 to 2.76 ft long. The common name is derived from their skin which is often loose and wrinkled and consists of small scales that are smooth and shiny, these characteristics give the snakes a rubber-like look and texture. Colors are typically tan to dark brown with a lighter ventral surface but sometimes olive-green, yellow, or orange. Newborns often appear pink and slightly transparent but darken with age. Rubber boas have small eyes with vertically elliptical pupils and short blunt heads that are no wider than the body. One of the most identifiable characteristics of rubber boas is their short blunt tails that closely resemble the shape of their head. Rubber boas appear quite different visually than any other species that share the same range and thus are usually easy to identify.

Characteristics of rubber boas behavior also set them apart from other snakes. Rubber boas are considered one of the most docile of the boa species and are often used to help people overcome their fear of snakes. Rubber boas are known to never strike at or bite a human under any circumstances but will release a potent musk from their vent if they feel threatened. They are primarily nocturnal and likely crepuscular (active during dawn and dusk) which partially contributes to how rarely they are encountered. Because of the temperate regions they inhabit rubber boas hibernate during the winter months in underground dens.

Rubber boas are viviparous (give birth to live young) and can have up to 9 young per year, but many females will only reproduce every four years. Mating occurs shortly after reemergence from hibernation in the spring and young are born anywhere from August to November later that year.

Rubber boas primarily feed on young mammals such as shrews, voles, mice, etc. When nestling mammals are encountered they will try to consume the entire litter if possible and fend off the mother with their tail, this is why individuals will often have extensive scarring on their tails. Rubber boas have also been known to prey on snake eggs, lizard eggs, lizards, young birds, young bats, and there have even been instances of them eating other snakes.

[ainawgsd]

Serpent sunday

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