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Cuban tree boa

Chilabothrus Angulfe


This near threatened snake is very much a solitary animal with poor eyesight. They use their tongues to ‘smell’ the air instead. Once they catch their prey, they do not kill with their teeth. Instead, they coil around their victim and squeeze, preventing the prey’s organs from functioning and suffocating them. It is one of the larger species of boa. The average Cuban tree boa is up to four metres long.

You can see these snakes in the zoo’s Reptile House.

IUCN Status

The IUCN status of the Cuban tree boa is near threatened.

For more info on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org.

  Fun fact Boas give birth to live young, rather than laying eggs

Animal class

Reptile

Conservation status

Cuban tree boas are near threatened, with threats including humans who view them as a pest for livestock, and death by natural disasters.

Habitat

Rainforest – found in Cuba and surrounding islands

Population

Exact figures are unknown.

Diet

Carnivore – eats rodents and small mammals.

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