Projeto Jiboia Snake Talk

Projeto Jiboia (“Boa Constrictor Project”) is Bonito’s evening activity. While the river and cave tours happen by day, this is a talk about snakes with live animals, in the town center, every day at 7pm. It costs little, needs no transport and answers the question every family asks on the second night: what to do after dinner.

The project has existed for more than two decades and began as an environmental education initiative by the biologist who presents it. The stated goal is to undo the fear and killing of snakes; the practical result is a lesson in how to identify venomous species, what to do in case of a bite and how to behave on a trail.

One thing to check before booking: the language of the talk. Ask your agency whether it is given only in Portuguese or also in English. Either way, the live animals, the terrariums and the photo session work without words.

What the tour is like

The session opens with the talk, given live with the help of images and of animals the presenter takes out of the terrariums as he goes. The tone is informal, with humor, and the audience is invited to join in. Topics include habits, diet, reproduction, the differences between boas, rattlesnakes, lanceheads (jararacas) and coral snakes, and common myths.

Afterwards, the audience walks around the terrariums and sees regional species up close, plus a few exotic ones, such as a python. The final part is the photo session: anyone who wants to has their portrait taken with a boa wrapped around their neck or arms, under the team’s guidance. Nobody is obliged.

Allow 2 hours from start to finish. The room is indoors and the tour goes ahead in any weather. Because the audience is mixed, with small children and adults, the presenter adjusts the tone through the evening: the accident stories and first-aid instructions are the part adults get the most from, and terrarium time belongs to the children.

Best season and time of day

There is no best season: the time is fixed, 7pm, every day. What changes is the crowd, larger in July, December and on Brazilian public holidays. Our advice is to fit Projeto Jiboia into the start of your trip, to make use of the guidance on the trails that follow, or on a rainy night, when other options disappear. The list of evening activities is in things to do in Bonito at night.

Price

Tickets are sold by Bonito’s licensed agencies under the single-voucher system, at the same price everywhere. The reference price, in Brazilian reais (BRL), is in the “At a glance” box on this page with the date it was checked. Children up to age 4 do not pay.

Is it worth it?

Yes, especially for families and for anyone traveling without a car, because it is the only attraction in Bonito reachable on foot from the center. It is also worth it for anyone afraid of snakes: walking out of the talk holding a boa is the fastest cure there is. In our guide to Bonito with kids it is the recommended evening activity, and in what to do in Bonito on a rainy day it is one of the few that do not depend on the weather.

It is not worth it for anyone expecting a show or a zoo: it is a talk, with chairs and a presenter, and the appeal lies in the content and the contact with the animals. If you want to see wildlife in its natural setting, look at Buraco das Araras, in Jardim.