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Three-lined boa

Lichanura trivirgata · Snakes · Reptiles

Three-lined boa (Lichanura trivirgata): Relatively large, non-venomous snake, roughly 17-43 inches (San Diego museum figure for L. trivirgata, pre-split); rust or orange. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and date

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Scientific name
Lichanura trivirgata
Family
Boidae
In North America
Native
Range
Extreme southern San Diego County (Tijuana and Otay watersheds), the Baja California peninsula and islands, Sonora, and isolated mountain ranges of western Arizona south of the Gila River (Maricopa, Pima, Pinal counties); sea level to 2,070 m.
Biology

How to identify it

Relatively large, non-venomous snake, roughly 17-43 inches (San Diego museum figure for L. trivirgata, pre-split); rust or orange. [1][2]

Field knowledge

Where it lives

Desert, arid scrub, brushland, sandy plains, rocky slopes and chaparral foothills, especially near springs, streams and canyon floors, but not dependent on permanent water; mainly terrestrial, sometimes climbs shrubs. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Inactive in cold temperatures and extreme heat; usually most active at night. [1][2]

Movements tend to be limited; home ranges average under 2 ha. [1][2]

Eats mainly small mammals and birds. [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Limited legal take

Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Extreme southern San Diego County (Tijuana and Otay watersheds), the Baja California peninsula and islands, Sonora, and isolated mountain ranges of western Arizona south of the Gila River (Maricopa, Pima, Pinal counties); sea level to 2,070 m.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. BIOLOGICALRosy Boa

    San Diego Natural History Museum (Coast to Cactus) · reviewed 2026-09-30

    San Diego Natural History Museum (Coast to Cactus)