Boa Constrictor - Boa constrictor constrictor
Habitat:
rainforests
Range:
Mexico, Central America, and South America
Activity Cycle:
nocturnal
Features:
forked tongue (used for “smelling”) ; markings which vary from one individual to the next and provide camouflage; very muscular bodies used for constricting and killing their prey
Size:
between 3-15 feet (7-8 feet is common)
Social Structure:
they are solitary
Life Expectancy:
20-30 years
Diet:
they will eat almost any mammal or bird small enough for the snake to swallow
Status:
Are in Appendix II of CITES
Interesting Facts:
- a common boa lies in wait for its prey and will first seize it with its teeth to prevent the prey from escaping, it then wraps around the prey and suffocates it
- they swallow their prey whole and head first
- they are cold-blooded and do not eat for several days at a time
- they are good swimmers
- man is the only predators of adult boa constrictors
- when threatened boas will hiss so loudly they can be heard 100 feet away
- boa constrictors can commonly squeeze into small places to get their prey, the problem is they become too wide after eating to get back out
Video:
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