Rubber Boa

[kibakiba]

Pumpkin would pull the 'curl up in a ball and stick his tail up' thing if you tried picking him up for a few months after he was born. It was cute.

[ssssnakeluvr]

They move very slowly. When you pic them up, they simply wrap tightly around your hand/wrist and will stay there for hours, or until you gently remove them. In other words, yes. Extremely docile. Absurdly so. Friendly? I don't know. They all act as if they've known you their entire lives. When alarmed or threatened, the only reaction is that they roll up into a tight ball, hide their heads, and stick the blunt tail up. Presumably to trick a predator into thinking that is their head.

mine moves pretty darn quick... he seems to be moving all over the cage all the time too...

[ConcinusMan]

They don't usually act like that unless overheated, which is easy to do.

http://www.rubberboas.com/Content/captivecare.html

[Zach_Lim]

Gravid Northern Rubber Boa that I found at a dumpsite within the hills of San Mateo county, CA. Boas are extremely easy to find here in the Bay Area, especially where there are lots of flippable artificial cover (boards, tin, trash). Despite the field guides claiming these chubby little snakes enjoy damp, forests, the majority of Charina I have found were in chapparal or grassy hillsides.

Any true field herper has got to herp the San Francisco Bay Area! You've got your boas right near your mountain kings!

[ConcinusMan]

Nice! I don't know about what books say but its well known that they occur in a variety of habitats. In the northwest we find them in open grassy areas bordering forests, under debris too. Usually found by "flipping"

Still, one must know a good "spot" and just because it's the right habitat doesn't mean they are there. Another problem is, even in the good spots where they are known to occur, you have to get really lucky. Some people find them consistently, or find many in one day and guys like me can go to the same spot a few days later/or and look for years and not find a single one even if someone else claims they are "easy to find"

I have found very few so to me they seem very rare. Other people find 10 in one day, right where I have been looking for years with no luck. I just can't figure that out

[Selkielass]

Sounds funny, but I think you need to 'tune in' to wh just thet a particular species likes and then listen to your. Subconscious when that little voice says look, there, thats just the spot...

I'm getting a bit better at spotting the right spots for garters, and part of it HAS to be my subconscious. Picking up on things I'm not aware im seeing.
I'm good at spotting mantis and common toads, getting better with garters, but have little. Or no luck with other reptiles and amphibians.

[snake man]

Aswome find.

[ConcinusMan]

Sounds funny, but I think you need to 'tune in' to wh just thet a particular species likes and then listen to your. Subconscious when that little voice says look, there, thats just the spot...

I'm getting a bit better at spotting the right spots for garters, and part of it HAS to be my subconscious. Picking up on things I'm not aware im seeing.
I'm good at spotting mantis and common toads, getting better with garters, but have little. Or no luck with other reptiles and amphibians.

I guess you're missing the point. I can look in exactly the same places where other people find numerous boas, only I'll find nothing. Even under the same objects they find them under. It's not that I don't know where to look. Anyway, there are several places in the county where I have found them, but they are all parking lots and shopping centers now.

[jitami]

Used to find these guys in the Santa Cruz mountains... they seemed plentiful when we were there in the spring. We found them in grassy areas surrounded by redwood forests. They're the only snake, other than added garter variety, left on my want list, because of the fond memories I have of them during my childhood... Don, if you ever find yourself needing the space...