Boa constrictor
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey (from a photo by Maximilian Paradiz) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The boa constrictor (scientific name also Boa constrictor), also known as the common boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family Boidae. The species is native to tropical South America. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Four subspecies are recognized.
Though all boids are indeed constrictors, only Boa constrictor (and its subspecies) is commonly referred to, in English, as a boa constrictor—an example of a species being referred to colloquially using its scientific binomial name.
The species and subspecies of B. constrictor are part of a variable, diverse group of New World boids referred to as "red-tailed" boas, comprising the species Boa constrictor and Boa imperator. Within the exotic pet trade, it is known as a "BCC"—an abbreviation of its scientific name—to distinguish it from other boa species, such as Boa imperator (known as "BCI" or "boa constrictor imperator").
Other regional names include the chij-chan (Mayan), jiboia (Portuguese), dagwe (Sranan Tongo), and macajuel (Trinidadian... Wikipedia →
Recording1:37
Brazil · 2023
© Ryan Yokoama · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:07
Brazil · 2023
© José Gabriel Sodré · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Main Ridge Forest Reserve | 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago | |
| 3 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 7 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Manaus | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Salvador | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Recife | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | João Pessoa | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Fortaleza | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Maceió | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Vitória | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Boa Constrictor sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 24th most-seen of the 47 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Boa Constrictor in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March, June and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Boa Constrictor sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Boa Constrictor sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in Emas National Park (Brazil, about 40%), Main Ridge Forest Reserve (Trinidad and Tobago, about 40%) and Chapada Diamantina National Park (Brazil, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Boidae
The closest relatives of the Boa Constrictor that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Boidae, Boas) are Garden Tree Boa (about 40%), Western Rainbow Boa (about 20%) and Bates's Tree Boa (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Boa Constrictor is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tambopata National Reserve (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
