The Jamaican Boa

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An Endangered Species

Presented by the National Environment and Planning Agency

The Jamaican Boa is more commonly called the YELLOW SNAKE Sometimes called Nanka Endemic Endangered

ENDEMIC
Belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place It is found in Jamaica and nowhere else in the world

Endangered
high risk of extinction in the wild within the next 100 years if the present factors causing the decline remain the same (IUCN)

Max. Length 2.2 metres Male larger than female Post orbital stripe Two-toned body Highly iridescent

Little known about its behaviour Active at night Nocturnal Sun bathes in the morning on rocks or in top of tree Spends most of its days in rocks and crevices Dry Season movement to settlements
Water? Food source e.g. rats?

Not poisonous Secretive Not aggressive Food include


Birds Bats Rats Lizards, frogs and insects

Constrictors kills prey by squeezing

Males have enlarged pelvic spur Females have very small spur

Spur
R. Miller courtesy of the Hope Zoo R. Miller courtesy of the Hope Zoo

Little known about the reproduction in the wild Mating balls have been observed In captivity the maximum litter size recorded was 34 Average size about 20

Historically
Known from every parish including Kingston Common and widespread 150 years ago

Present Day
Rarely encountered Survive in a few strong-holds
Suggests that changes in land-use and killing of snakes has led to isolation of populations - Patchy

1 4

10

N
9 11

KEY
1. Negril 2. Greenwoods 3. Runaway Bay Braco 4. Cockpit Country 5. Nassau Mountains 6. Santa Cruz Mountains 7. Portland Ridge 8. Worthy Park 9. Hellshire Hills 10. Blue and John Crow Mts. 11. St. Thomas Hills (incl. Belvedere and White Horses

Long history of decline since colonization by Europeans Introduced alien mammals


Mongoose Dogs Cats Pigs

Persecution by man Habitat destruction

Mongoose
Introduced in 1872 to control rats in cane fields Ecological nightmare for all ground-dwelling native animals
Jamaican Petrel (extinct?) Jamaican Poorwill (extinct?) Black Racer Snake (extinct?) Coney (critically endangered)

Mongoose is active at day..Yellow Snake active at night

Encounters with MAN


Encountered in cane fields Encountered by forest workers and farmers Found in dwellings Found in or near chicken coop The Snake is wrongly believed to be poisonous General fear of reptiles

chop-on-site attitude

Jamaican Boa Encounters Reported to NEPA from 1997 2006.


12 10
Number of Incidents

8 6 4 2 0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Year

1 4

10

N
9 11

Appendix 1 of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the local Endangered Species (Protection, Conservation and Regulation of Trade) Act, 2000
Protection against international trade

Wildlife Protection Act, 1945


it is illegal to kill, capture, harm or have in ones possession any living or dead protected species or parts thereof.

Maximum Penalty of 100-thousand-dollars or 12 months imprisonment or both for breaches of above Acts

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