 the rosy boa (lichanura trivirgata) is a snake of the boidae family, one of only two members of that family native to the united states. the other is the rubber boa (charina bottae). the rosy boa is native to the american southwest, and baja california and sonora, mexico. ==description== these small attractive snakes attain a length of 17-30 in (though some specimens from the coast of california reach 3-3.5 feet), and a large adult has a body width about the diameter of a golf ball. coloration in rosy boas is highly variable. the common name is derived from the rosy or salmon coloration that is common on the belly of rosy boas originating from coastal southern california and baja mexico. most rosy boas do not have this ventral coloration but instead have a series of dark to orange spots on a light-colored background. almost all rosy boas have at least some trace of three longitudinal stripes, one down the center of the back, and two on the lower sides. the appearance of these stripes varies widely, from extremely straight and having high contrast with the interspaces, to extremely broken with almost no contrast with the interspaces. stripe colors can be orange, maroon, rust, brown, or black. interspace colors can be shades of light to dark gray, yellow, or tan. == geographic range == the rosy boa is found in the southwestern united states in the states of california and arizona, and northwestern mexico in the states of baja california and sonora. in california, the rosy boa ranges throughout the colorado and mojave deserts and also occupies the coastal areas of los angeles, orange, riverside, and san diego counties. in arizona, the rosy boa occupies the mojave desert and the western areas of the sonoran desert. it is absent from the eastern and northern halves of the state. in sonora, the rosy boa ranges from the border with the united states south throughout the sonoran desert to at least as far south as ortiz. in baja california, the rosy boa is almost ubiquitous ranging throughout the entire peninsula except in areas of extremely dry or rockless desert. ==
Boinae_by_common_name Fauna_of_the_Baja_California_peninsula Fauna_of_the_Colorado_Desert Fauna_of_the_Mojave_Desert IUCN_Red_List_least_concern_species Reptiles_of_Mexico Reptiles_of_the_United_States