Chuck Ripper: Jamaican Boa

Artist: Chuck Ripper
1929 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1999
Image Size: 12.5 by 14.5 inches
Overall Size: 15 by 17.75 inches
Medium: Gouache Water Color On Cold Press Illus. Board

Classified as Epicrates subflavus, the Jamaican Boa lives on the island of Jamaica and belongs to the family of New World boas. Moist, limestone forests are its preferred habitat, but it is also found in rock crevices, caves and trees. A slender snake that grows to over six feet in length, the Jamaican Boa has a dorsal ground color of tan, reddish-brown or olive, contrasting with a random pattern of distinctive black scales. Like many boa species, the Jamaican Boa is a constrictor. It bites its prey, then wraps itself around the victim, squeezing with its powerful body to kill by suffocation. Small mammals are its chief diet staple. The Jamaican Boa is able to seek out prey by using heat-sensitive pits located along its upper and lower mandibles. A nocturnal creature, this tropical serpent can be seen entwined among tree branches or slithering along the ground. The mating season for the Jamaican Boa is from February to early April and the female bears live young from October to December. As more and more forests are cleared for agriculture and other human activities, this species grows increasingly endangered through habitat loss. The depredation of boas by introduced mammals such as weasels has also had a negative impact. The Jamaican Boa is included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the UN F.s. 0,90 Jamaican Boa stamp issued April 22, 1999.

Artwork Copyright © 1999 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB16371

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