Chilabothrus angulifer (Cocteau & Bibron, 1840)

Diagnostic Genus Traits

Chilabothrus angulifer, commonly known as the Cuban boa, is identified as the least derived species in the genus Chilabothrus by three key traits: the presence of labial pits, the shortest tail of any species in the entire genus, and supralabials that are separated from the eye. It is also the largest member of the genus Chilabothrus.

Body Size & Mass

The Cuban boa has a notably massive body, with a body mass typical of boas or pythons that have a far greater total length.

Native Range

This species is native to Cuba and its adjacent islands, including Isla de la Juventud, formerly called the Isle of Pines, the Canarreos Archipelago specifically Cayo Cantiles, the Colorados Archipelago off the northern coast of Pinar del Río, and the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago which includes Cayo Guajaba and Cayo Sant María.

Type Locality

Its designated type locality is "Cuba".

Preferred Natural Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Chilabothrus angulifer includes multiple types of forest: rainforest, cloud forest, evergreen forest, semi-deciduous forest, thorn forest, and coastal scrub forest.

Altitudinal Range

It occurs at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 1,214 m (3,983 ft).

Anthropogenic Habitat Use

It has also been recorded living in sugar cane plantations.

Reproductive Mode

Chilabothrus angulifer is a viviparous species.

Female Breeding Characteristics

Females of this species are biennial breeders and require five or more years to reach sexual maturity.

Mating Season

The species' mating season normally runs from April through June.

Male Mating Behavior

Males mate every year, and engage in ritualized combat.

Female Reproductive Determinant

A female's ability to reproduce is determined by her size, not her age.

Gestation Period Range

In wild populations, gestation typically lasts 150 to 180 days.

Gestation Length Correlate

Gestation length appears to correlate with the temperatures that gravid females are exposed to.

Parturition Period

Parturition normally occurs in September and October.

Litter Size Range

Litter sizes in the wild range from 2 to 22 live young.

Litter & Neonate Size Correlate

There is a documented correlation between female size and the size of both litters and neonates: larger females produce larger litters and larger individual offspring.

Neonatal Size Measurements

Neonatal Chilabothrus angulifer are among the largest of any species in the boa family, with snout-vent lengths from 505 to 646 mm and weights from 80 to 237 g.

Comparable Neonatal Sizes

Only the neonates of Boa constrictor and Eunectes murinus reach comparable sizes.