A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Rosy Boa - Lichanura orcutti

Stejneger, 1889

(aka Northern Three-lined Boa)

(Comprised of 2 former subspecies of the species Lichanura trivirgata:
Coastal Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca and Desert Rosy Boa - Lichanura trivirgata gracia)

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Description • Taxonomy • Species Description • Scientific Name • Alt. Names • Similar Herps • References • Conservation Status

Red: Range in California

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Map with California County Names

Southwest Page

All of the Rosy Boas shown below are the same species, Lichanura orcutti.

They are grouped together in a way that corresponds to the long-accepted older taxonomy that is still favored by many Rosy Boa enthusiasts.

The Rosy Boas below from southwest California were previously classified as
Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca - Coastal Rosy Boa

Juvenile, Santa Ana Mountains, Riverside County © Nick Barrientos

Adult, San Diego County desert

Juvenile, Imperial County desert

Adult, San Diego County desert

Adult, Riverside County © Brian Hinds

Adult, Imperial County desert

Juvenile, Imperial County desert

Adult, San Diego County desert

Adult female, coastal San Diego County

Juvenile male, coastal San Diego County

Adult, Imperial County desert
(Specimen courtesy of Tim Burkhardt)

Adult, Imperial County desert

Adult, Riverside County
© Brad Alexander

Juvenile, San Diego County
© Bruce Edley

Adult, San Diego County, rolled up in a defensive ball. © Sean Kelly

Adult, Riverside County © Brian Hinds

Juvenile, San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County © Ross Padilla

Adult in habitat, Riverside County
© Brad Alexander

Adult, Santa Ana Mountains, Riverside County © Nick Barrientos

Juvenile, Santa Ana Mountains, Riverside County © Nick Barrientos

Adult, San Diego County
© Douglas Brown

Adult, Riverside County
© Brody Trent

Adult, San Diego County
© Paul Maier

Adult, Riverside County
© Emile Bado

Adult female, coastal Riverside County
© Grigory Heaton

Adult male in habitat, coastal Riverside County © Grigory Heaton

Adult, Riverside County
© Zeev Nitzan Ginsburg

Juvenile, Riverside County
© Zeev Nitzan Ginsburg

This adult boa was discovered constricting a kangaroo rat at night on a trail in San Diego County. © Drew Arnett

Adult, coastal San Diego County © Eleanor Breslin.
This individual appears to be melanistic, lacking all pigment except black.

Adult in rock crack, Riverside County
© Zeev Nitzan Ginsburg

The Rosy Boas below from Southern San Diego County were previously classified as
Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca - Coastal Rosy Boa. They were also known as "Unicolor" Boas

These snakes were also classified as Lichanura trivirgata, Rosy Boa, following the findings of a study published in 2007, but those findings were changed later, following more accurate DNA tests.

Adult male, coastal San Diego County

Unstriped "unicolor" Adult, coastal San Diego County
(Specimen courtesy of Tim Burkhardt)

Unstriped "unicolor" Adult, coastal San Diego County.

Unicolor adult, San Diego County
© Brian Hinds

The Rosy Boas below from Mohave Desert locations were previously classified as
Lichanura trivirgata gracia - Desert Rosy Boa

Adult, Imperial County

Adult, Kern County (Specimen courtesy of Robert Hansen)

Adult female, Imperial County desert (Specimen courtesy of Stuart Young)

Adult, Inyo County (Specimen courtesy of Tim Burkhardt)

Adult male, Imperial County desert

Adult from San Bernardino County
© Mike Clarkson

Adult, Inyo County © Zeev Nitzan Ginsburg

Adult, Inyo County. © Chris Morrison

Adult, Riverside County desert (Specimen courtesy of Tim Burkhardt)

Adult, Kern County © Noah Morales

Adult, Kern County desert © Ryan Sikola

Adult, Inyo County © Ryan Sikola

Adult with unusually dark stripes, Inyo County © Zeev Nitzan Ginsburg

"Desert Rosy Boas" From Outside California

Adult, Arizona, locality unknown. (Specimen courtesy of Randy Babb)

The Rosy Boas below from the contact zone were previously classified as intergrades of the two previously-recognized subspecies:
Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca - Coastal Rosy Boa and Lichanura trivirgata gracia - Desert Rosy Boa

Adult Riverside County desert © Douglas Brown

Sub-adult, San Bernardino County desert. Found swimming at the edge of a creek at night.

Adult, Riverside County

Adult, San Bernardino County
© Stuart Young

Adult Riverside County desert
© Douglas Brown

Rosy Boa Courtship

This series of pictures shows two Rosy Boas in Kern County in early June. A male is pursuing a female courting her and attempting to breed with her. The male was first observed pursing the female in a sandy wash, following her and attempting to mate with her many times. They were last seen about 100 yards from where they were first spotted. Another male was spotted several yards away and a third male a few hundred feet away, but neither is shown here. © Daniel Koury

2009 Wildfire Rescue Boa

In late September, 2009, Lonnie Fehr found this adult boa in a canyon at the edge of the burn zone of the Station fire in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County. The boa remained beside a rock next to a trail, becoming a mascot to passing fire crews who were happy to see an animal that had escaped the fire. When it became apparent that the snake was sick and vulnerable, the snake was taken to a veterinarian.

Dr. Clyde Pitts and staff X-rayed the snake and determined that it was suffering from dehydration and smoke inhalation, and that it had eaten a large gopher that had probably been burned in the fire and was not being digested normally. They administered vitamins and other treatment until the snake was ready to be returned to the wild. The pictures above show the snake after treatment as it was being released. © Lori Paul.

Rosy Boa Habitat

Habitat, San Diego County desert

Habitat, Imperial County desert

Habitat, Riverside County desert

Habitat, Kern County

Habitat, Riverside County

Habitat, San Bernardino County desert

Habitat, coastal Riverside County

Habitat, Riverside County desert

Habitat, Imperial County desert

San Diego County coastal sage habitat

Habitat, hillside coastal chaparral,
San Diego County

Habitat, coastal Riverside County

Habitat, Riverside County desert riparian

Habitat, coastal San Diego County

Habitat, coastal San Diego County

Habitat, San Diego County
desert mountains

Short Videos

A Rosy Boa at night in
San Diego County

A desert phase Rosy Boa crawls at night in Imperial County

A rosy boa discovered at night on a sand bar in the middle of a creek prepares to swim back to the shore.

Description

Not Dangerous - This snake does not have venom that can cause death or serious illness or injury in most humans.

Commonly described as "harmless" or "not poisonous" to indicate that its bite is not dangerous, but "not venomous" is more accurate. (A poisonous snake can hurt you if you eat it. A venomous snake can hurt you if it bites you.)

Size

Adults 17 - 44 inches long (43 - 112 cm) but generally under 36 inches.
Hatchlings are 10 - 14 inches long.

Appearance

A heavy-bodied snake with smooth shiny scales and a blunt, but tapered tail.
The head is only a little wider than the neck.
Pupils are vertical.

Color and Pattern

The "roseofusca" pattern class typically has three poorly-defined irregular dark stripes, brown, reddish-brown, orange or rust in color, running lengthwise on the back and sides with a gray, olive-gray, bluish-gray or brownish ground color inbetween.
Flecks of the stripe color are usually present in the ground color.
Snakes with more contrasting even-edged stripes are associated with drier habitats.)
The belly is predominantly dark - often bluish to bluish-gray with dark flecks.

The "gracia" pattern class typically has three well-defined dark stripes, tan, brick red, rose, or reddish-brown in color, running lengthwise on the back and sides with a gray, cream, tan, yellowish or whitish ground color inbetween.
Flecks of the stripe color are rarely present in the ground color.
Snakes with more contrasting even-edged stripes are associated with drier habitats.
The belly is cream to grayish with dark flecks.

Rosy boas of all subspecies have been common pet snakes for many years. Breeders have produced new color morphs and, in order to promote regional variations in appearance, they have also designated sometimes confusing locality-specific names such as Verbenia, Corn Springs, Whitewater, Pioneertown, Long Canyon, Mojave, San Gabriel, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, Unicolor, Anza-Borrego, Harquahala, Bagdad, Baja Cape, San Felipe, Catavina, and Bay of LA, among others.

Male/Female Differences

Males have small spurs on each side of the vent which are vestigial hind limbs.

Life History and Behavior

Primarily active at dawn, dusk, and at night, rarely in daylight, but may be active in the morning, especially in cool weather.
In the hottest and coldest months of the year, remains inactive in burrows or under surface debris.
A good climber.

Sometimes rolls the body into a ball and hides the head when alarmed.

Diet and Feeding

Eats rodents, small birds, lizards, small snakes, and amphibians.
Kills prey by constriction.

Reproduction

Females are viviparous, bearing 3-14 live young sometime between October and November.

Habitat

Inhabits arid scrublands, semi-arid shrublands, rocky shrublands, rocky deserts, canyons, and other rocky areas.
Appears to be common in riparian areas, but does not require permanent water.

Geographical Range

In California, occurs from the Baja California border in San Diego County north into the Mojave Desert and east into the Sonoran Desert of California. Absent from much of the Imperial Valley. Recorded from the Fish Creek Mountains in 2023. [Herp Review 54(3)] Also found in northwest Baja California and western Arizona.

Notes on Lichanura Taxonomy

The most recent published study of which I am aware (1/18) split Lichanura into two species. This taxonomy is followed in the latest common names list of the SSAR - SSAR Herpetological Circular No. 43, 2017, but they use the common name Rosy Boa for L. orcutti.

The long-recognized species Lichanura trivirgata was split into two species, Lichanura orcutti - Rosy Boa (or Northern Three-lined Boa) and Lichanura trivirgata - Three-lined Boa.

Since most Lichanura (Rosy Boas) do not have the rosy ventral coloring which gave the snake its common name, Robert Stebbins (Stebbins, 2003) has suggested using the common name Three Lined Boa, which was given to the species by its original describer (E. D. Cope, 1861.) The common name Northern three-Lined Boa is used on some common names lists, and Rosy Boa is used on others, including this one.

Lichanura taxonomy has been confusing. The generic name Lichanura has been challenged, with some taxonomists placing the snake in the genus Charina, along with the Rubber Boas. The three traditionally-recognized subspecies, Lichanura gracia, Lichanura roseofusca, and Lichanura trivirgata, have also been challenged, with Lichanura gracia and Lichanura roseofusca placed into the subspecies Lichanura myriolepis, and the Arizona populations into Lichanura arizonense.

In their 2007 study, Wood et. al, using mtDNA, found 3 main clades within Lichinura trivirgata which did not correspond to recognized subspecies, leading them to recognize two species - Lichanura orcutti, and Lichanura trivirgata.

(Wood, Dustin A., Robert N. Fisher, and Tod W. Reeder. Novel patterns of historical isolation, dispersal, and secondary contact across Baja California in the Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46 (2008) 484–502. December 2007)

These findings contradict many years of accepted Rosy Boa taxonomy and the established pattern classes used by a large group of Rosy Boa hobbyists and the new taxonomy is not universally accepted.

Wood et al describe the ranges of these two species in this way:

L. orcutti

"Distribution. North of the US–Mexico border within San Diego, County in California along the coastal Peninsular Ranges, northward into the Mojave Desert and eastward in the Sonoran Desert of California and Arizona. In Arizona this species inhabits areas north of the Gila River, except for individuals inhabiting the Gila Mountains."

(This species consists of the former subspecies L. t. roseofusca (excluding extreme southern San Diego County boas) and the former subspecies L. t. gracia, including the "Arizona Rosy Boa" phase.)

L. trivirgata

"Distribution. Extreme southern San Diego County, California within the Tijuana River and Otay watersheds, southward throughout the Baja California peninsula, and northwestern Mexico in the state of Sonora. In Arizona it can be found throughout isolated mountain ranges south of the Gila River in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal Counties."

(This species consists of the extreme southern San Diego County Lichanura formerly the subspecies Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca, including the "Unicolor" boas, the Mid-Baja " L. t. saslowi" boas, (also called L. t. myriolepis) and the Mexican Rosy Boa - L. t. trivirgata.)

Some San Diego County locations for this species are Otay Valley, Hollenbeck Canyon, Barrett Junctiion, Honey Springs, Skyline Truck Trail, and Marron Valley.

Formerly, I showed L. trivirgata as present in extreme southern San Diego County. I removed the species from my list of snakes found in California in 11/14, based on personal email communications regarding the results of ongoing unpublished studies of nuclear data which show that L. trivirgata does not occur in California but ranges north only to just south of El Rosario in Baja California. This contradicts the range description of L. trivirgata described above in Wood et. al.

Alternate and Previous Names (Synonyms)

Lichanura orcutti - Northern Three-lined Boa (SSAR 2012)
Charina trivirgata (Stebbins 2003)
Lichanura trivirgata (Stebbins 1966, 1985, 2012)
Lichanura roseofusca roseofusca - California rosy boa; many-scaled boa; rubber snake; two-headed snake (Wright & Wright 1957)
Lichanura roseofusca gracia - Desert boa; California boa (Wright & Wright 1957)
Lichanura roseofusca - California Boa (Stebbins 1954)
Lichanura roseofusca - California Boa (Lichanura orcutti; Lichanura simplex; Lichanura myriolepis; Lichanura trivirgata. Rubber Snake, part; Rubber Boa, part; Rosy Boa) (Grinnell and Camp 1917)

Formerly Lichanura trivirgata was dividred into the following subspecies or pattern classes:

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

Listed as a sensitive species by the USFS and the BLM (under the scientific name Charina trivirgata.)

Taxonomy
Family	Boidae	Boas and Pythons	Gray, 1842
Genus	Lichanura	Rosy Boas	Cope, 1861
Species	orcutti	Rosy Boa	Stejneger, 1889
Original Description
Stejneger, 1889
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Lichanura - Greek - lichanos - forefinger, and oura tail - possibly refers to the body form or the stumpy tail (that could be said to look like a finger) orcutti - honors Orcutt, Charles R. from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Related or Similar California Snakes
C. bottae - Northern Rubber Boa C. umbratica - Southern Rubber Boa
More Information and References
California Department of Fish and Wildlife *** Wood, Dustin A., Robert N. Fisher, and Tod W. Reeder. Novel patterns of historical isolation, dispersal, and secondary contact across Baja California in the Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46 (2008) 484–502. December 2007. Stebbins, Robert C., and McGinnis, Samuel M. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Revised Edition (California Natural History Guides) University of California Press, 2012. Stebbins, Robert C. California Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of California Press, 1972. Flaxington, William C. Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Field Observations, Distribution, and Natural History. Fieldnotes Press, Anaheim, California, 2021. Samuel M. McGinnis and Robert C. Stebbins. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles & Amphibians. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2018. Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998. Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Bartlett, R. D. & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000. Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997. Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003. Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press, 1957. Joseph Grinnell and Charles Lewis Camp. A Distributional List of the Amphibians and Reptiles of California. University of California Publications in Zoology Vol. 17, No. 10, pp. 127-208. July 11, 1917. s

Conservation Status
The following conservation status listings for this animal are taken from the January 2024 State of California Special Animals List and the January 2024 Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Animals of California list (unless indicated otherwise below.) Both lists are produced by multiple agencies every year, and sometimes more than once per year, so the conservation status listing information found below might not be from the most recent lists. To make sure you are seeing the most recent listings, go to this California Department of Fish and Wildlife web page where you can search for and download both lists: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-Animals. A detailed explanation of the meaning of the status listing symbols can be found at the beginning of the two lists. For quick reference, I have included them on my Special Status Information page. If no status is listed here, the animal is not included on either list. This most likely indicates that there are no serious conservation concerns for the animal. To find out more about an animal's status you can also go to the NatureServe and IUCN websites to check their rankings. This species is listed as Charina trivirgata - rosy boa. Special Animals List Notes: 1) The Forest Service "Sensitive" designation refers only to the subspecies Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca. 2) The taxonomy of this species is in flux. The name Lichanura trivirgata is a synonym. Some sources list several subspecies while others don't recognize any subspecies.
Organization	Status Listing	Notes
NatureServe Global Ranking	G4G5	Apparently Secure - Secure
NatureServe State Ranking	S3S4	Vulnerable - Apparently Secure
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	None
California Department of Fish and Wildlife	None
Bureau of Land Management	None
USDA Forest Service	S	Sensitive
IUCN	LC	Least Concern

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