Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photo by Maximilian Paradiz) · PhyloPic

Central American Boa

Boa imperator

Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photo by Maximilian Paradiz) · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassSquamata
FamilyBoidae (Boas)
GenusBoa (Boa Constrictors)
SpeciesBoa imperator (Central American Boa)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Marino Ballena National Park

4 Verified sightings at Marino Ballena National Park From 2019 to 2026

739 Verified sightings across all 44 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Central American Boa

Boa imperator (or Boa constrictor imperator in common usage) is a large and heavy-bodied arboreal species of nonvenomous, constrictor-type snake in the family Boidae. One of the most popular pet snakes (often bred in captivity) in the world, B. imperator's native range is from Mexico through Central and South America (west of the Andes Mountains, mainly in Colombia), with local populations on several small Caribbean islands. It is commonly called the Central American boa, northern boa, Colombian boa (or Colombian red-tailed boa), common boa and common northern boa.

Boa imperator is a wide-ranging species, living in both Central America and the northern parts of South America. As a result, the appearance of this snake varies greatly depending on the specific locality. As one of the smaller Boa species, they average between 1.3 m (4.2 ft.) and 2.5 m (8.2 ft.) in length when fully grown, but have been known to reach 3.7 m (12 ft.). They usually weigh around 6 kg (13 lb), although females are significantly larger than males. Lifespan in the wild is around 20–30 years, but 40 can be exceeded in captivity.

Although Boa imperator exhibits almost identical patterns to Boa... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Marino Ballena National Park

Corallus ruschenbergerii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
2	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
3	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
4	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
5	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
6	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
7	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
8	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
9	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
10	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
11	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
12	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	~20%
13	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
14	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
15	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
16	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
17	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
18	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
19	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
20	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
21	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
22	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
23	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
24	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
25	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
26	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
27	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
28	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
29	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
30	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
31	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
32	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
33	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
34	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	Insufficient data
35	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
36	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
37	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
38	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
39	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
40	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
41	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
42	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
43	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
44	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

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