AZA Species Survival Plan Profile: The Mona/Virgin Islands Boa

The Mona boa and the Virgin Islands boa, native to islands off Puerto Rico, are vulnerable to habitat loss through development, and to predation from exotic species (rats and cats). A Species Survival Plan initiated in 1990 first addressed captive breeding programs; since then, the emphasis has shifted to management of wild populations. The Plan is based on population data collected in field surveys in the 1980s and early 1990s, and data on ecological, demographic, and reproductive variables. To date, this information has been disseminated among the research community. A successful reintroduction program was completed, and future research will include monitoring this population over ten years, continuing data collection, and restoring degraded habitats on the islands.