Habitat selection of the Central American boa Boa imperator (Serpentes, Boidae) in a pasture landscape of Costa Rica

The Central American boa has large populations, a wide distribution and inhabits natural, and anthropized environments alike. However, human activity can negatively affect some populations’ viability, raising the need for conservation plans. Knowing the habitat requirements is essential in order to apply corrective measures, such as translocation programs, but also to establish control policies in the places where this species may be invasive. In this study, we monitored nine radio tagged Central American boas, five of them were translocated, in pasturelands of Costa Rica. The snakes behaved as a sit and wait predator, hiding in holes or shelters most of the time (76 % of locations) and passing up to 36 days in the same hole. Home ranges (MPCs: 4.8554.39 ha) did not show differences between sexes or between translocated and resident individuals. Analyses on relation of available and used habitat pointed out that the Central American boa selected positively buildings, crops and riparian habitats while avoiding forests and pasturelands. Two snakes did not perform habitat selection while the remaining seven showed great variability, selecting each snake different habitat types. Hence, this study shows that the Central American boa behaves as a generalist species that benefits by inhabiting human transformed ecosystems. This, combined with the fact that it remains hidden most of the time, makes locating and removing strategies difficult, enhancing its invasive potential.