The Lichanura Trivirgata, commonly known as the rosy boa, is a type of snake native to the American Southwest and Northern Mexico, residing in rocky deserts and semi-arid scrublands. the Rosy boa is distinguishable by three stripes running the length of its body, ranging in color from red to brown. Rosy boas are harmless to humans and are popular as pets.
Rosy boas can be found from Death Valley to the Mojave Desert. They are also present east of the Transverse Mountain Ranges and into Western Arizona as well as in areas of northwest Mexico. They prefer warm and dry environments, but not extreme desert climates. Rosy boas mainly reside in coastal canyons, desert creeks, semi-arid scrublands and rocky desert environments. In general, they enjoy areas with intermittent or permanent water sources.
Rosy boas are most readily recognized by their stripes: three stripes running the length of their bodies that are either tan, brick red, rosy, reddish brown or chocolate brown in color. These stripes appear on a background of a lighter cream, tan, yellow, gray or even white. Their pupils are vertical. Rosy boas may range in size from 22 to 44 inches (about 56 to 112 centimeters) and females are usually longer than males. A captive rosy boa in a good environment may live to be 25 years old.
Rosy boas are non venomous and harmless to humans. In the wild, these snakes’ diets consist of small animals native to their environment, including rodents, small reptiles, amphibians and birds; they kill by constricting their prey. As a defense mechanism, they may coil themselves and hide their head within, or on occasion they may give off a bad odor to ward off attackers.
If held in captivity, rosy boas need to be kept in specific conditions if they are to survive. They need at least a 20-gallon (about 75-liter) enclosure, yet since they are burrowing snakes rather than climbing snakes, they do not need an especially tall enclosure. They like a dry environment with a loose, deep ground cover, about 2 to 4 inches (or 5 to 10 centimeters), that they can use for burrowing. Their environment should be between 73 and 83°F (about 28.3 to 22.7°C), with low humidity. They may eat small mice, insects or mealworms.
Rosy boas are easy to care for and make great pets for reptile lovers. Those who wish to own a rosy boa, however, must remember to purchase one from a pet store rather than take them from the wild. Wild boas may suffer from parasites and diseases.