Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in Western Washington, and was wondering if anyone knows any great spots where rubber boas thrive? I know the whole state has many spots, but is there any that are Great spots to search for them? I found one in Gig Harbor over 10 years ago. I am also looking to purchase a cb pair of Rubber Boas,so if anyone has them for sale, or knows of a breeder, please let me know, Thanks

You can't legally collect or keep Rubber Boas in Washington state. Yeah, it's stupid, but it's true. I'd recommend NOT keeping them and stick with non-natives.
Doug Taylor Reptiles

You can't go out in the field and collect or even touch any reptiles in Washington. I agree its a stupid law.

A good rubberboa website, if you haven't already looked at it:

www.rubberboas.com

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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) cornsnakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase, 2008 (and 14 eggs)
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, WC, 20??

It is true that you can not legally collect rubber boas in Washington State for herpetocultural purposes. It is however not true, as the law is worded, that you cannot keep rubber boas in Washington State. If your boas are acquired out of state, and you can prove that, you should technically be okay. That being said though, it can be difficult to prove that the particular boas in your possession are from out of state. Even if you can prove it, please don't go around advertising (shows, internet, etc.) that you have Rubber boas. Any DFW agent that sees or hears the words "rubber boas" in Washington is likely to see that as a huge red flag, and is also likely not to know that not all rubber boas are illegal in the state. My final bit of advice I would like to leave you with is to just avoid the rubber boas entirely as far as keeping in captivity goes. Get into sand boas and rosys, they aren't the same, but they are totally legal in Washington and probably always will be.

I really appreciate all the info, you all have been quite helpful. I will have to get a pair from Oregon I guess, if I really want to work with them. And my intention was not to field collect rubber boas, but just to observe them in their natural habitat. I will still search for them this year, so if anyone can tell me well known spots, that would be very helpful. I have checked out rubberboas.com-great site! I also know they are supposed to be all around the olympic and cascade mountain range, but they also must be tons of other areas they live too. The only rubber boa I have ever found (I haven't really looked hard yet), was in Gig Harbor, WA, the town I grew up in. This is a town around sea level. I have never heard of their range being documented here. Thanks so much you guys! Anybody have a pair of rubbers for sale? LOL

I believe the law actually says that you cannot take from the wild or maintain any wildlife species native to the state of washington, except those concidered as a nucience or pest.
I believe they have also outlawed keeping any venomous or poisoness animal without a permit. I could be wrong on the last part though.
The way I read it in the past was that you cannot have a rubber boa period, because it is a native species.
Fish and Game of spokane have confirmed this for me.
Thanks,
Steve
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Steve Perry
North Idaho.

I asked a similar question some time ago. What I found out was rubber boas inhabit much of that state. I was smack dab in rubber boa habitat up there one year, and a local told me where he saw one.

They range up into the mtns but also can occur at forest edge areas near sea level. They prefer access to sunlight, so you probably will not have much luck in deep forest canopy. You can lay down corrugated tin at strategic locations if possible. You may find them to take pictures and such. True that you cannot take any rubber boas home unless you have a research permit.

I do not know what time of year or conditions to look in that state. I saw no herps in the nat'l forest when I was there one Fall, but then went to someone's house and found a few dozen toads in his yard and a few gartersnakes on the edge of a clearing. His neighbor found a rubber boa (he told me) one day in summer in a clearing next to forest under discarded wood. This was in Sequim.
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Mark

Jake:
First off, the distribution of the Rubber Boa in Washington is extensive just as it is in Oregon. It likely is absent from the immediate and near coastal areas of western WA from the Columbia River up to the northwest tip of the Olympic Peninsula. But it is found in the Port Angeles area and throughout much of the inner Washington Puget Sound region including a number of the islands. A few years ago someone either on this or another forum showed photos of boas he had found somewhere either in the Olympia or Tacoma regions.

I use to travel to tennis tournaments in various places in Washington and in my spare time, search for boas. I have observed the species from near Woodland, in the Columbia Gorge, along Hwy. 97 near Satus Pass, at Cle Elum, Swauk Pass north of Ellensburg, and areas west and north of Spokane. I know of the species having been observed east of Ellensburg in strictly arid grassland habitat and in the sagebrush / grassland habitat in the vicinity of Pullman, Washington.

Up until a few years ago, yearly I would apply and obtain a WA. collecting permit. But then they changed the personnel handing the permits and placed an incompetent biologist in charge of the permitting process. I gave up trying to get a workable permit from Washington thereafter.

I do not know exactly what the Washington Regulations now specify or how they are interpreted. But I wouldn't be surprised that if you were to contact a half dozen WA. wildlife agency biologist or officials, that you would probably get at least two (or more) different answers to your questions.

For a good number of years, there was a person in Bellevue by the name of Bob that off and on would advertize Rubber Boas for sale in the Kingsnake classified section. A few years ago on this forum, someone showed a photo of a boa they had purchased from Bob. The boa had a scarred tail tip which indicated that instead of being captive bred (as Bob had claimed), it had be captured in the wild. Don't know if Bob is still breeding and selling boas.

Richard F. Hoyer

I have dealt with Bob in person on several occasions. I too have reason to believe that he engaged in unscrupulous collecting habits. I will not say more here, as this thread is not about an individuals business practices, but please let me know personally if you are interested in more information on him. I have not heard from Bob in several years. Several rumors are active in the northwest herp community about his ill health, or even death, but I can neither confirm nor deny any of these allegations.