Javelin Sand Boa
Eryx jaculus
A harmless sand boa; biologically confirmed in the Georgia checklist.
Overview
What is Javelin Sand Boa
The javelin sand boa (Eryx jaculus) is a harmless boa. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 treat it as a biologically confirmed species with a broad range in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, and North Africa. The subspecies listed for Georgia is E. j. turcicus. It is on the checklist; a CaBOL barcode and a paper figure locality are both Tbilisi. Its burrowing look can be confused with the European blind snake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis).
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Quiz
Next: which snake is it?
Javelin Sand Boa is in the Georgia snake quiz. Ten field photos, four names — eye practice, not field ID.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Javelin Sand Boa.
Yes. It is on the Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 checklist. The CaBOL barcode and paper figure locality are Tbilisi.
Site classification: Harmless. It is a non-venomous boa; it kills prey by constriction.
No. Eryx is stouter, with small eyes and a blunt tail. The blind snake is a typhlopid with a worm-like body.
Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026: E. j. turcicus (Werner, 1935).
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Georgian herpetofauna records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- The Reptile Database
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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