sized predator in their habitat. When threatened, rubber boas curl into a ball around their head, and expose their tail to mimic their head. While this is thought to be a primary defense technique against predators, it is not effective against many predators (raptors, coyotes, raccoons, cats, etc.). The best defense of rubber boas is their secretive nature. Reproduction Rubber boas are viviparous (give birth to live young) and can have up to 9 young per year, although litters of 1-5 are much more common. Rubber boas are less prolific than many snakes found in the US and Canada with females only reproducing on average once every four years. Mating occurs shortly after reemergence from brumation in the spring, and young are born anywhere from August to November later that year. Other The southern rubber boa is found only in a few disjunct areas of California and also the sage-steppes of central Washington. The rubber boa is a primitive snake compared to its much larger relatives native to Latin America, which include the boa constrictor, emerald tree boa and green anaconda. The rubber boa has retained the club-like tail of its erycine ancestors. It is an extremely adaptable snake. It is a good climber, burrower, and even swimmer. The rubber boa has established populations around Pemberton, British Columbia, Williams Lake, British Columbia, Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia. References Sources Hoyer RF (1974). "Description of a rubber boa (Charina bottae) population from western Oregon". Herpetologica 30: 275–283. Hoyer RF, Stewart GR (2000). "Biology of the rubber boa (Charina bottae), with emphasis on C. b. umbratica. Part I: Capture, size, sexual dimorphism, and reproduction". Journal of Herpetology 34: 248–354. Hoyer RF, Stewart GR (2000). "Biology of the rubber boa (Charina bottae), with emphasis on C. b. umbratica. Part II: Diet, antagonists, and predators". Journal of Herpetology 34: 354–360. Hoyer R (2011). All About the Rubber Boa. Klauber LM (1943). "The subspecies of the rubber boa, Charina ". Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 10: 83–90. Nussbaum R, Hoyer RF (1974). "Geographic variation and the validity of subspecies in the rubber boa, Charina bottae ". Northwest Science 48: 219–229. Rodrigues-Robles JA et al. (2001). "Mitochondrial DNA based phylogeography of North American rubber boas, Charina bottae ". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 8 (2): 227–237. Stebbins RC (1955). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. External links Charina bottae