(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - BOA, MONA
OTHER COMMON NAMES - BOA, MONA; BOA, MONA ISLAND; BOA and TREE; CULEBRON DE LA MONA
ELEMENT CODE -
CATEGORY - Reptiles
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - CHORDATA,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - REPTILIA,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - SQUAMATA,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - BOIDAE,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - EPICRATES,
SPECIES AND SSP - MONENSIS, MONENSIS
SCIENTIFIC NAME - EPICRATES MONENSIS MONENSIS
AUTHORITY -
TAXONOMY REFERENCES -
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Mona Boa
Epicrates monensis monensis Zenneck, 1898
KINGDOM: Animal GROUP: Reptile
PHYLUM: Chordata CLASS: Reptilia
ORDER: Squamata FAMILY: Boidae
The Mona Boa is one of the smaller arboreal forms of Epicrates
in the West Indies (01). Adults reach a length of 1.02 meters.
The species is diagnostically separated from other Puerto Rican boas
by being considerably smaller, having fewer dorsal markings (51-57),
and a higher number of sub-caudal scales (74-87) (02). In life,
adults are light brown and dorsal markings are dark brown with margins
more intensely colored. The abdomen is mostly cream in color, with
occasional marks around the tail region. Immature specimens are more
conspicuously colored, with a light yellowish-brown, dorsal ground
color, and almost black dorsal markings. The abdomen is almost white
(03,05,06,04).
Originally described from specimens collected by Bock in 1894,
this boid was given distinct species status in 1898 (07). Later
consideration of specimens by Meerwarth (08) presented the species
as a variety of E. fordii. Additional examination of specimens in
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
1901 by Stejneger concluded and supported the species distinctiveness
(05). This was further verified by Schmidt (04) based on a specimen
collected in 1892.
Common synonyms found in the literature for the species are
Epicrates monensis Zenneck, 1898, Epicrates fordii var monensis
Meerwarth, 1901, and Epicrates monensis monensis Zenneck after
monensis monensis Sheplan and Schwartz, 1974 (07,06,04,05,08,09,
10,11).
The original syntypes (2034) were deposited in the Hamburg
Natural History Museum but were destroyed during the war (08).
Immature specimens retained from gravid females held temporarily
captive in 1979 are deposited in the collection of amphibians and
reptiles of Dr. J.A. Rivero, Biology Dept., Univ. of Puerto Rico,
Mayaguez. Photographs of an adult and juveniles are also kept in
this locality (03). The specimen collected by Brown in 1982 (04) is
deposited in the Field Mus. of Nat. Hist. in Chicago, IL. The
specimens collected by Grant (11) in 1932 are deposited in the Univ.
of Michigan Mus. of Zool.
Taxonomy - 2 (DRAFT) - Status
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Puerto Rico; State Listed
T: Federal Threatened
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
U.S. STATUSES AND LAWS:
The Mona boa (Epicrates monensis monensis) has been designated a
Threatened species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(50 CFR 17.11; P.L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1540), as
amended. The subspecies has this status wherever found including
Mona Island, approximately 43 miles west of western Puerto Rico.
Designated Critical Habitat for the species is Mona Island, PR
(50 CFR, Sec 17.95(c)).
This subspecies is protected by the Lacey Act (P.L. 97-79, as
amended; 16 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.) which makes it unlawful to import,
export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase any wild animal
(alive or dead including parts, products, eggs, or offspring):
(1) in interstate or foreign commerce if taken, possessed,
transported or sold in violation of any State law or
regulation; or
(2) if taken or possessed in violation of any U.S. law,
treaty, or regulation or in violation of Indian tribal law.
It is also unlawful to possess any wild animal (alive or dead
including parts, products, eggs, and offspring) within the U.S.
territorial or special maritime jurisdiction (as defined in
18 U.S.C. 7) that is taken, possessed, transported, or sold in
violation of any State law or regulation, foreign law, or Indian
tribal law.
RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL AGENCIES:
USFWS -Responsible for the management/recovery, listing, and
law enforcement/protection of this species.
All Federal agencies have responsibility to ensure that any
action authorized, funded, or carried out by that agency is not likely
to jeopardize the continued existence of the species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of Critical Habitat (50 CFR 402),
and to utilize their authorities to carry out programs for the
conservation of the species.
STATE STATUSES AND LAWS:
STATE: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
DESIGNATED STATUS: Threatened with Critical Habitat (Mona
Island)
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY: Department of Natural Resources
STATUTE: Regulation to Govern the Management of Threatened and
Endangered Species in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,
1985. (Listed as species Epicrates monensis which also
includes the Virgin Islands tree boa.)
INTERNATIONAL STATUSES, TREATIES, AND AGREEMENTS:
The Mona boa was initially included on Appendix II of CITES under
"higher taxa" listing all species of the family Boidae, but since has
been placed in Appendix I on 07/29/83. The species is also listed in
the IUCN Red Data Book.
ECONOMIC STATUSES:
There is no commercial utilization and only minimal human contact
with the species because of its remote range and secretive habits.
77/05/26:42 FR 27003/27007 - Proposed rule; Threatened w/ Crit Hab
78/02/03:43 FR 04621/04628 - Final rule; Threatened w/ Critical Hab
82/02/17:47 FR 07190/07192 - Proposal - amendments to CITES I
82/11/17:47 FR 51772/51776 - Proposal - amendments to CITES I
83/07/05:48 FR 30732/30733 - Proposed rule - CITES I
83/04/20:48 FR 45259/45263 - Final rule - CITES I
83/12/08:48 FR 55100/55102 - Five year review
Status - 2 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - TERRESTRIAL
TERRESTRIAL
LAND USE -
Shrub and Brush Rangeland
Mixed Forest Land
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
A description of Mona boa preferred habitat is not possible
due to scant information available on collection sites. Of the
eleven specimens known, only two have locational vegetation data.
Similar information is available for a specimen that was positively
identified but not collected, in 1980. A general description of the
sites follows.
The 1973 collection site (06) is located in the southern part
of Mona, in Playa del Uvero. It is a sandy area near the beach with
sands composed mainly of fine to medium grained grayish-pink calcite
and argonite (15). Vegetation on this substrate is mainly represented
by a combination of some trees and shrubs. The 1979 collection site
(03) is located in the southeastern part, in Playa de Pajaros. It is
on the road rising from the beach area that intersects the road
leading east to the Mona lighthouse. Actual collection occurred at
the side of the road area where the predominant vegetative cover is
scrub, underbrush, and cacti. Vegetation types in the Uvero and Playa
de Pajaros sites include an evergreen littoral woodland in a typical
subtropical dry life zone (18-20). Most of Mona Island consists of
seasonal deciduous woodland (19-20). Depression forests include a
semi-evergreen seasonal woodland (19-20).
The 1980 observation site (16) is located on the western part of
Mona, in a portion of the coastal terrace in Sardinera. This is also
a sandy area of similar substrate to the one previously described.
The vegetation present at this site is tall forest, mainly composed of
a Casuarina plantation.
Specific environmental parameters of these sites or those
required by the species has not been gathered and so is unavailable.
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
CARNIVORE
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Reptilia
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Coastal Features: Vegetated offshore islands
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
LIFE HISTORY
FOOD HABITS:
Little is known on the food habitats of this species. Stomach
analysis of the specimen collected in 1892 by Brown revealed a tail of
Anolis cristatellus (04,06), suggesting this lizard is a prey item.
This has been supported by observations of two specimens (i.e., those
collected in 1973 and 1979) kept temporarily in captivity. Both
accepted A. cristatellus (03,06), and one (the 1979 specimen) would
not feed on white mice that were presented as food on several
occasions (03). No additional information is available regarding food
type preference.
HOME RANGE/TERRITORY:
No information is available.
PERIODICITY:
All species of the genus Epicrates are nocturnal (17).
Observations on a specimen kept in captivity in 1979 (03) supports
this fact. The snake remained hidden during the day under pieces
of bark that were provided, and became active at night (03).
MIGRATION PATTERNS:
The species biology is unknown. Based on general characteristics
of the group (i.e., Epicrates) in the West Indies, the species should
be nonmigratory. However, movements of the species throughout its
range between microhabitats is possible. Whether such patterns or
movements exist in E. m. monensis is unknown.
COVER/SHELTER REQUIREMENTS:
No information is available on the shelter requirements of the
species.
REPRODUCTIVE SITE REQUIREMENTS:
No information is available on reproductive site requirements.
REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS:
Although specific information on the Mona boas' reproduction is
not available, some or all of the following statements could be true
for the species.
Most of the species of Epicrates in the West Indies mate from
February through April; parturition is usually in September or
October; most forms reproduce biennially. These three characteristics
of reproduction are consistent within the genus. The specimen
collected in 1979 (03) was a female that gave birth to four young.
PARENTAL CARE:
There is no direct information on parental care in this species.
POPULATION BIOLOGY:
There is no information on population numbers and trends for the
species.
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
SPECIES INTERRELATIONSHIPS:
Although we have no direct observations of interrelationships,
the species could be threatened by predation by feral mammal
populations on Mona Island. These feral species may also indirectly
affect the boa by depleting the food source on which the snake
depends.
OTHER LIFE HISTORY DESCRIPTORS:
No other information is available.
Life History - 2 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Maintaining undisturbed/undeveloped areas
Beneficial Restricting Poaching
Beneficial Controlling/Removing Exotic Vertebrates
Beneficial Controlling/Removing Feral Animals
Beneficial Controlling/Removing Domestic Animals
Adverse Harassment/Vandalism/Indiscriminate Killing
Existing Harassment/Vandalism/Indiscriminate Killing
Adverse Predation
Existing Predation
Adverse Exotic/Feral/Introducted Species
Existing Exotic/Feral/Introducted Species
Adverse Forest Alteration
Existing Forest Alteration
Adverse Harvesting
Existing Harvesting
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
The Mona boa was described in 1898 by Zenneck (07) on account of
five specimens collected by Bock in 1894 for the museum in Hamburg.
In 1901, Bowdish (05) searched Mona Island and failed to see a single
specimen. The species was entirely unknown to the few inhabitants
of Mona. Based on this, Stejneger (05) remarked that the species
could not have been common when it was discovered.
In 87 years, only 11 specimens have been collected on five dates:
one in 1892, five in 1894, three in 1932, one in 1973, and one in
1979. Long periods of time elapsed between some collection dates
which lead some investigators to believe the species was extinct (06).
Since information on the species before 1892 is lacking, it is
impossible to know whether the species was indeed common at some point
in time. Thus, factors responsible for the species rarity or decline
can merely be suggested.
Probable causes for rarity include the following: predation by
introduced mammals, primarily cats, pigs, and rats (13); habitat
alteration or destruction (12,13); and the occasional killing of this
snake by goat and pig hunters.
Future threats to the species could include broad habitat
alteration or destruction, increased recreational activities, and
predation pressure if control measures for the populations of
introduced mammals.
APPROVED PLAN:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1984. Recovery Plan for the Mona Boa
(Epicrates monensis monensis). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Atlanta, GA. 14 pp.
Recovery actions for the Mona boa include:
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
1. Determine the status of the present population.
2. Conduct natural history studies.
3. Control and/or remove domestic, exotic, and feral animals such as
goats, pigs and cats.
4. Continue protection of the habitat.
5. Continue the protection of the present population from poaching
and development.
Research on feral goats is commencing, protection of habitat is
ongoing, protection of the present population is incidental to other
natural resource law enforcement activities on Mona. No direct
recovery work is being done on the boa at this time.
Management Practices - 2 (DRAFT) - References
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
References
***** REFERENCES FOR ALL NARRATIVES EXCEPT N-OCCURRENCE *****
01 Tolson, P.J. 1984. The ecology of the boid genus Epicrates in the
West Indies. Abstract: Fifth Ecology Symposium. Universidad del
Turabo. Depto. Ciencias y Tecnologia.
02 Rivero, J.A. 1978. The amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico.
Editorial Universitaria. Universidad de Puerto Rico. Mayaguez,
Puerto Rico. 152 pp. and 49 plates.
03 Rivero, J.A., R. Joglar I. Vazquez. 1982. Cinco nuevos ejemplares
del Culebron de la Mona, Epicrates m. monensis (Ophidia:Boidae).
Carib. J. Sci. 17(1-4) 1982:7-13.
04 Schmidt, K.P. 1928. Amphibians and land reptiles of Puerto Rico,
with a list of those reported from the Virgin Islands. Sci. Surv.
Puerto Rico and Virgin Is. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 19(1)1-160. 52 figs.,
4 pls.
05 Stejneger, L. 1904. The herpetology of Puerto Rico. Report U.S.
Nat. Mus. 1902:549-724.
06 Perez-Rivera, R.A. y M.A. Velez, Jr. 1978. Notes sobre algunas
culebras de Puerto Rico. Sci.-Ciencia 6(1):68-73.
07 Zenneck, H. 1898. Die Zeichnung der Bioder: Zeitchr. Wiss Zool.
64:1-384, Lams 18.
08 Sheplan, B.R. and Schwartz, A. 1974. Hisponolan boas of the genus
Epicrates (Serpentes, Boidae) and their Antillean relationship.
Ann. Carnegie Mus. 45(5):102.
09 Meerwarth, H. 1901. Die Westindischen Reptilen and Batrachier des
Naturhistorischer Museum in Hamburg. Mitth. Naturh. Mus. Hamburg
18:1-41.
10 Schwartz, A. and R. Thomas. 1975. A checklist of West Indian
amphibians and reptiles. Spec. Publ. Carnegie Mus. Nat. Hist.
1:1-216.
11 Grant, C. 1932. Notes on boas of Puerto Rico and Mona. J. Dept.
Agric. Puerto Rico. 16:327-329.
12 Schmidt, K.P. 1926. The amphibians and reptiles of Mona Island,
West Indies. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. (Zool. Ser.) 12:149-163.
13 International Union for Conservation of Nature. Red Data Book.
Vol. 3. Reptiles. Information on the Mona boa (Epicrates monensis
monensis).
14 Philibosian, R. and J. Intema. 1977. Annotated checklist of the
birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians of the Virgin Islands and
Puerto Rico. Information Services; St. Croix, VI. 48 pp.
15 Aaron, J.M. 1973. Geology and mineral resources of Isla de Mona,
PR. In: Isla de Mona. Junta Calidad Ambiental, ELA, Puerto Rico.
Vol. 2:B1-B7.
16 Ortiz, Peter R. 1980. Box 4332, San Juan Station; San Juan,
Puerto Rico, 00905. Observation of a specimen in a tree a
Sardinera in August, 1980.
17 Tolson, P.J. 1984. The ecology of the boid genus Epicrates in the
West Indies. Abstract. Fifth Ecol. Sym. Universidad del Turabo.
Depto. Ciencias y Tecnologia.
18 Ewel, J.J. and J.L. Whitmore. 1973. The ecological life zones
of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. USFS Res. Pap. ITF-18:1-72.
References - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species BOA, MONA
Species Id ESIS154004
Date 14 MAR 96
19 Beard, J.S. 1944. Climax vegetation in tropical America.
Ecology. 25(2):127-158.
20 Beard, J.S. 1955. The classification of tropical american
vegetation types. Ecology. 36(1):89-100.
***** REFERENCES FOR N-OCCURRENCE NARRATIVE ONLY *****
01 Zenneck, H. 1898. Die Zeichnung der Bioder: Zeitchr. Wiss Zool.
64:1-384, Lams 18.
02 Schwartz, A. and R. Thomas. 1975. A checklist of West Indian
amphibians and reptiles. Spec. Publ. Carnegie Mus. Nat. Hist.
1:1-216.
03 Ortiz, Peter R. Box 4332, San Juan Station; San Juan, Puerto Rico,
00905. Observation of a specimen in a tree a Sardinera in August
1980.
04 Rivero, J.A., R. Joglar y I. Vazquez. 1982. Cinco nuevos
ejemplares del Culebron de la Mona, Epicrates m. monensis
(Ophidia:Boidae). Carib. J. Sci. 17(1-4) 1982:7-13.
05 Perez-Rivera, R.A. y M.A. Velez, Jr. 1978. Notes sobre algunas
culebras de Puerto Rico. Sci.-Ciencia 6(1):68-73.
06 Schmidt, K.P. 1926. The amphibians and reptiles of Mona Island,
West Indies. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. (Zool. Ser.) 12:149-163.
07 Tolson, P.J. 1984. The ecology of the boid genus Epicrates in the
West Indies. Abstract: Fifth Ecology Symposium. Universidad del
Turabo. Depto. Ciencias y Tecnologia.
08 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1980. Puerto Rican beaches
proposed as Critical Habitat. Endangered Species Tech. Bull.
5(2):11.
References - 2