Northern Three-lined Boa

About the Northern Three-lined Boa

Lichanura orcutti, also known as the rosy boa, the coastal rosy boa, or the northern three-lined boa, is a species of snake in the family Boidae. This species is found North of the US–Mexico border within San Diego County in California and along the coastal Peninsular Ranges, northward into the Mojave Desert and eastward in the Sonoran Desert of California and Arizona. Lichanura orcutti is one of four boa species native to the continental United States, the other three being the desert rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata), and the two species of rubber boas (Charina).

Zoologist Leonhard Stejneger described the species in 1889. Lichanura taxonomy is not well understood; some taxonomists have challenged the Lichanura genus and suggest that these species be grouped with Charina, the rubber boas. L. orcutti was previously considered to be a subspecies of L. trivirgata; DNA analysis later identified L. orcutti as a distinct species. Confusion over scientific names is compounded by the fact that Lichanura species are popular as pets and reptile keepers frequently use outdated taxonomy.

Lichanura orcutti is a heavy-bodied snake with smooth scales and a tapered... Wikipedia →