| Range: |
Jamaica |
| Habitat: |
Forests, wetlands, plantations |
| Conservation Status: |
Threatened |
| Scientific Name: |
Epicrates subflavus |
Once common in many areas of Jamaica, this species has been slowly declining since colonization by Europeans. Habitat alteration and predation by introduced mammals have had the greatest impact on boa populations. And when they venture from the forest into sugar cane and banana plantations in search of rats, the boas fall prey to field workers with machetes. This is the result of the common, but false, belief that Jamaican boas are venomous.
Key to the boas' survival is educating native people about the snakes' beneficial role in controlling rodents.
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