However, they may become active predators in places where food is scarce.įirst, they grab the prey with their teeth and wrap themselves around its body to cut off the blood flow and oxygen supply to kill it quickly. Since they are ambush predators, These snakes usually wait for their prey to get near enough to strike. In some parts of their distribution, they play an essential role in controlling rodent populations. Apart from being popular exotic pets, these snakes are also caught and killed for their skin. Still, with their generally peaceful nature, they do well in captivity and are commonly kept as pets. However, like all other snakes, they tend to be more defensive when molting, as they cannot see well during that period. Those from South America are much easier to tame. The Central American specimens are usually more aggressive, so they hiss loudly and repeatedly strike when threatened. But they may bite if threatened or cornered, and their bite can be pretty painful, though not deadly. Are they Dangerous to Humansīeing constrictors, these snakes are non-venomous and hardly ever attack humans. The males have longer tails to accommodate the hemipenes and longer pelvic spurs - both used for mating and reproduction. Unlike many colubrids, these boas have a vestigial (non-functional) left lung along with the large and functioning right one. So, they use the heat sensors in their mouth and their excellent vision to understand their surroundings, much like other snakes typically do. Another triangular marking lies between the snout and eye on both sides, continuing behind the eyes and running down towards the jaw.ĭespite being a large snake from the Boidae family, they do not have labial pits in their head. A dark line runs from their nostril to the back of their head. Their arrow-shaped head, with distinctive markings, is one of their primary identifying features. Since these constrictors are one of the most popular snakes species to be kept as pets in the US, as well as around the rest of the world, there are several amazing color morphs, with the following being relatively common: Some of these are no longer considered, while others, like Boa nebulosa, Boa sigma, and Boa imperator, have become individual species. Many other snakes have been suggested as subspecies to Boa constrictors based on appearance or their distribution range. Argentine boa ( Boa constrictor occidentalis).Peruvian long-tailed boa ( Boa constrictor longicauda).Red-tailed boa (Boa constrictor constrictor).Hunted for their fine, ornate skin and for sale in the exotic pet trade, some boa constrictors have protected status in their range.Here are the 4 recognised subspecies, with the red-tailed boa being the nominate subspecies. The largest boa constrictor ever found measured 18 feet. Boas are about 2 feet long when they are born and grow continually throughout their 25 to 30-year lifespan. Reproduction and Conservationįemale boas incubate eggs inside their bodies and give birth up to 60 live babies. Their jaws can stretch wide to swallow large prey whole. Boas will eat almost anything they can catch, including birds, monkeys, and wild pigs. Their jaws are lined with small, hooked teeth for grabbing and holding prey while they wrap their muscular bodies around their victim, squeezing until it suffocates. Significantly smaller than anacondas, boas can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh more than 100 pounds. Like their anaconda cousins, they are excellent swimmers, but prefer to stay on dry land, living primarily in hollow logs and abandoned mammal burrows. Behaviorīoas are nonvenomous constrictors found in tropical Central and South America. Depending on the habitat they are trying to blend into, their bodies can be tan, green, red, or yellow, and display cryptic patterns of jagged lines, ovals, diamonds, and circles. Boa constrictors wear some of the most distinctive markings of all reptiles.
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