37 



REPTILlA: SERPENTES: BOIDAE "^ "^ BOA 



BOA L I nnaeus 



1758 Boa Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, Ed. 10: 214. Type-species: Boa Constrictor Linnaeus 



1768 Constrictor Laurentl, Synopsin Reptilium: 106. Type-species: Constrictor formos iss imus Laurenti. 



Distribution: Mexico to Argentina; Antilles. 



Content: One species. 



BOA CONSTRICTOR Linnaeus 



I7S8 Boa Constrictor Linnaeus. Systema Naturae, Ed. 10: 215. Type-locality: India (in error). 

 1768 Constr ictor rex serpentum Laurenti (unavailable because not binomial), Synopsin Reptilium: 



107. Type-locality: Madagascar; Java. 

 1768 Constr i ctor auspex Laurenti, Synopsin Reptilium: 108. Type-locality: America. 



1801 I Boa J constrictrix Schneider (unjustified emendation of constr ictor Linnaeus), Hist. Amphib., 2: 

 247. 



Distribution: Mexico to Argentina; Antilles. 



Content: Eight subspecies, two of which ( nebulosus Lazell and orophias Linnaeus) are extra- 

 1 im i tal. 



Key to the subspecies Clave de subespecies 



1. Conspicuous dorsal pattern always present-2 1. Diseno dorsal conspTcuo siempre presente — 2 

 Dorsal pattern pale or dark, but always Diseno dorsal palido u oscuro, pero siempre 



inconspicuous or even absent 5 inconspicuo o ausente 5 



2. Longitudinal middorsal band on head without 2. Una banda longitudinal supracefal ica sin 



lateral projections 3 proyecciones laterales 3 



Longitudinal middorsal band on head sends Una banda longitudinal supracefal ica emite 

 lateral projections to eyes imperator proyecciones hacia los ojos imperator 



3. Dorsal pattern of yellow spots bordered by 3» Diseno dorsal de manchas amarillas rodeadas 



black rings which are connected to each por anillos negros conectados entre s f i 



othei 4 Diseno dorsal de manchas amarillas roaeadas 



Black rings around yellow dorsal spots not por anillos negros independ i entes entre 



in contact with each othei occ idental i s s' occ idental i s 



4. More than 21 saddle-shaped dorsal spots; 4. Manchas dorsales en forma de silla de 



ventrals 226-237 amaral i montar, con prolongacion anterior y pos- 



Fewer than 20 rounded dorsal spots; 234-250 terior, en numero de 22 o mas; ventrales 



ventrals constrictor 226-237 amaral i 



Manchas dorsales rodeadas, sin prolonga- 

 ciones, en numero menor de 20; ventrales 

 234-250 constrictor 



5. Dorsal color pale, light, sandy orton i i 5' Color dorsal arenoso, palido, claro- orton i i 



Dorsal color dark reddish brown saboqae Color dorsal pardo rojizo oscuro saboqae 



Boa constr ictor constr i ctor Linnaeus 



1768 Constr Ictor formos Iss I mus Laurenti, Synopsin Reptilium: IO7. Type-locality; America. 



1768 Constrictor di vi n i loquus Laurenti, Synopsin Reptilium: 108. Type-locality: Mexico and Peru. 



1560 Boa constr i ctor constr ictor — Forcart, Herpetolog ica, ]: 199- 



Distribution: Amazonian South America to Argentina and Paraguay; Trinidad; Tobago. 



Boa constrictor amaral i (Stull) 



1932 Constrictor constrictor amaral i Stull, Occ. Pap. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 8: 27. Type- 

 locality: SSo Paulo, Brazil. 

 1951 Boa constrictor amarali — Forcart, Herpetolog ica, 7* 199* 



Distribution: Southern and southwestern Brazilj southeastern Bolivia. 



