Epicrates (genus)

Epicrates is a genus of non-venomous boas found in South America and Central America. Five species are currently recognized, including the rainbow boa.[2]

Epicrates
Brazilian rainbow boa, E. c. cenchria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Boidae
Subfamily:	Boinae
Genus:	Epicrates Wagler, 1830
Synonyms
Epicrates Wagler, 1830 Chilabothrus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844 Cliftia Gray, 1849 Epicarsius J.G. Fischer, 1856 Homalochilus J.G. Fischer, 1856 Piesigaster Seoane, 1881 Epicrates Boulenger, 1893 Boella H.M. Smith & Chiszar, 1992[1]

Distribution and habitat

Found in lower Central America through South America as far south as Argentina.[1]

Species

Species[2]	Taxon author[2]	Subsp.*[2]	Common name	Geographic range[1]
E. alvarezi	Abalos, Baez & Nader, 1964		Argentinian rainbow boa	northern Argentina, southeastern Bolivia, western Paraguay
E. assisi	Machado, 1945			Brazil
E. cenchria^T	(Linnaeus, 1758)		Rainbow boa[2]	French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina
E. crassus	(Cope, 1862)			Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil
E. maurus^T	Gray, 1849		Brown rainbow boa	Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, northern Brazil, Trinidad, Tobago, Isla Margarita.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
^T) Type species.[1]

References

1. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
2. "Epicrates". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 6 July 2008.

External links

• Epicrates at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 July 2008.