Reptile & Amphibian Forums

All my life I’ve known about rubber boas but I’ve been waiting this whole time to actually find one myself. Two nights ago my girlfriend and I went up to Bogus Basin Mountain on yet another night drive and all the hard work finally paid off. There on the side of the road (about 5300 feet) was a 13 inch neonate rubber boa; I picked it up and it immediately entwined itself around my fingers- just like every account I’ve heard of.
Well, even better is that we kept driving since the conditions were obviously so optimal, and I spotted a 20 inch Charina 15 feet in front of us (we were at about 6300 feet now)!!! I got out, went up to it and gestured to my girlfriend in the car to ~watch this~ as I petted it on its back and it didn't even bat a muscle!?! Being the way I am I decided to push it a little further and pet the back of its head. I did the same again, reached out, petted the back of its head and still, it didn't MOVE A MUSCLE!
Nobody can name ONE animal anywhere in the world that you can walk up to it in the wild, pet the back of its head and it not flinch!! Absolutely crazy! Hopefully within three years I’ll have some breeding projects going, I just need a few more adults. Does anyone know if there’s any demand for c/b rubber boas?? Not like it even matters, I get enough out of just having them as pets. But yet again, I’ve found another switch inside my head that’s been flipped (thanks to James, kerncountyherp); now I’m in over my head, there’s no escaping. I’m so stoked…
**pictures to come**

Patrick

i didn't mean to link a picture with that post...dammitt.... still figuring out the loop holes here...

congradulations, many people look alot before finding them. I live in Idaho and also love to find charina. I live in the Panhanle near Coeur d Alene. You should know that you need to have a valid hunting or fishing licience to keep rubber boas. Idaho state law allows you to keep only two per year and no more than four in possetion. Posotion means the ones that you maintain at home also, a little different than what it means when fishing. While it is very unlikely that anything would come of keeping more than the state allows it is always better to abide by the rules rather than not. The way we (people in general) treat the rules will definetly affect the rules of the future. Alot of states have changed laws and made it much harder on field herpers because of the way people have taken advantage of the situation. This is true in many states and with many different laws. I am an avid sportsman who loves the outdoors and it makes me sick to see the changes that have occured because of rule breaking citizens and tree hugging cali$@#$%&s. Even the smallest infraction can only help in making Idaho worse.

have you found any charina up there? the fact that these guys are found in places that get so cold just amazes me! yea- i do have both hunting and fishing licenses and i was lucky enough to get two this year, so i'm set there. thanks for the heads up on the regs though! if you ever come down south, lemme know, we can see what we can see!!

patrick