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Boidae

Abaco Island Boa

Harmless

Chilabothrus exsul

Abaco Island Boa
Chilabothrus exsul, (c) Ben Machado, some rights reserved (CC BY)

The Abaco Island Boa (Chilabothrus exsul) is a non-venomous snake in the Boidae family, recorded in 1 country.

Family
Boidae

About the Abaco Island Boa

Chilabothrus exsul, the Abaco Island boa or Northern Bahamas boa, is a boa species found in the Bahamas. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all other boas, it is not venomous.

Description

Slender and terrestrial with an iridescent reddish sheen. It grows to a maximum of 80 cm (31 in) in length and feeds on small mammals, birds and lizards.

Distribution and habitat

Found in the Bahamas on Grand Bahama Island and Great Abaco Island, including Elbow Cay and Little Abaco Island. The type locality given is "Near Blackrock (approximately 26°49'N. lat. and 77°25'30"W. long.) on the east coast of Great Abaco in the Bahamas."

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Abaco Island Boa

Is the Abaco Island Boa venomous?
No. The Abaco Island Boa (Chilabothrus exsul) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
Is the Abaco Island Boa poisonous?
Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Abaco Island Boa is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Abaco Island Boa dangerous?
The Abaco Island Boa is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Abaco Island Boa live?
The Abaco Island Boa has verified records in 1 country, including Bahamas. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

More Boidae snakes

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
Squamata
FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
Boidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
Chilabothrus
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
Chilabothrus exsul

Keep learning

Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.