Epicrates (snake)

Epicrates is a genus of non-venomous snakes in the subfamily Boinae of the family Boidae. The genus is native to South America and Central America. Five species are currently recognized as being valid, including the rainbow boa.^[2]

Epicrates
Brazilian rainbow boa, E. c. cenchria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Boidae
Subfamily:	Boinae
Genus:	Epicrates Wagler, 1830
Synonyms
Epicrates Wagler, 1830 Chilabothrus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844 Cliftia Gray, 1849 Epicarsius Fischer, 1856 Piesigaster Seoane, 1881 Epicrates Boulenger, 1893 Boella H.M. Smith & Chiszar, 1992[1]

Distribution and habitat

Species of Epicrates are found in lower Central America through South America as far south as Argentina.^[1]

Species

Species[2]	Taxon author[2]	Subspecies*[2]	Common name	Geographic range[1]	Image
E. alvarezi	Ábalos, Báez & Nader, 1964	0	Argentinian rainbow boa	northern Argentina, southeastern Bolivia, western Paraguay
E. assisi	Machado, 1945	0	Caatinga rainbow boa	Brazil
E. cenchriaT	(Linnaeus, 1758)	4*	Rainbow boa[2]	French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Argentina
E. crassus	(Cope, 1862)	0	Paraguayan rainbow boa	Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil
E. maurus	Gray, 1849	0	Colombian rainbow boa; Brown rainbow boa	Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, northern Brazil, Trinidad, Tobago, Isla Margarita.

• ) Not including the nominate subspecies.

^T) Type species.^[1]

Etymology

The specific name, alvarezi, is in honor of Argentine herpetologist Antenor Álvarez (1864–1948).^[3]

The specific name, assisi, is in honor of Arlindo de Assis who collected the holotype.^[4]