CHILABOTHRUS INORNATUS (Reinhardt, 1843)
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Chilabothrus of the Greek: cheilos (lip), a (without) and bothros (pit).
Chilabothrus inornatus, Puerto Rican Boa, is a Boa species endemic to Puerto Rico.
It is found mainly in the Karsts region at the northwestern tip of the island (Acevedo-Torres et al., 2005). The inornatus are quite numerous on the island but they are rarely observed because their colors and their morphology allows them to blend into the decor very easily. Their habitat is very varied, they are found in burrows as well as in trees (although they have rather terrestrial mores) or in the caves of the Karsts region where they hunt bats.

During the 1700s and early centuries of Spanish colonization in Puerto Rico, this Boa was relatively abundant. The population of inornatus fell partly because of poaching but also because the snake was used for the manufacture of oil. The oil market, as well as the destruction of its habitat, had a significant impact on the boa. The deforestation of the island began at this time and at the beginning of the 20th century only a minor part of the natural forest remained. When an expedition to the United States Natural History Museum visited Puerto Rico in 1900, the boa became so rare that no specimen could be collected. The introduction of the Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), which attacks snakes, is another explanation for the situation of the inornatus at that time. Some rescue measures have been taken, some areas of the islands have been protected and Chilabothrus inornatus is also subject to the 1973 US Endangered Species Act, which protects it from certain commercial practices.

Chilabothrus inornatus is a snake that is born with orange or reddish colors and turns brown, almost black when grown. It is a snake that can reach 200cm.

Chilabothrus inornatus in captivity :

​Chilabothrus inornatus in the wild :

​​Here is a short video showing a Puerto Rican Boa hunting a bat in a cave.