Young parrot rescued from grips of invasive boa snake

In the Maricao State Forest on the western end of Puerto Rico, a biologist encountered a flock of parrots in a panic. Raúl Correa of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service followed the chaotic squawks and found a young bird in the grips of a red-tailed boa (Boa constrictor).

The snake had trapped a juvenile Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata) on a bamboo stalk. Correa quickly sliced the bamboo, causing the snake to lose its grip and release the bird. USFWS observed the parrot after the incident to ensure it didn’t suffer any lingering injuries. Just a day later, the bird returned to flying with its flock.

Red-tailed boas are considered an invasive species in Puerto Rico. Native to South America, they came to the island in the 1990s through the illegal exotic pet trade. Without anything above it in the food chain, the snakes spread rapidly and have caused widespread damage to native wildlife populations, including the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot.

Puerto Rico is also home to a native boa (Chilabothrus inornatus) that is smaller in size. The native Puerto Rican Boa can grow up to 7 feet long. By contrast the invasive red-tailed boa can grow over 10 feet and has introduced viruses to native snake populations on the island, according to a 2023 study.

“Experience has shown that island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to snake invasions, and unfortunately Puerto Rico has no natural predators that can keep the numbers of these prolific, snakes in check,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “Humans were responsible for introducing this scourge to the island, and are the only hope for mitigating the problem before it is too late for the native species.”

Different places have deployed a variety of tactics to remove invasive snakes species, including Florida that hosts an annual Python Hunt. The contest allows both amateur and professional hunters to kill invasive Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) for prize money.