Download Common Boa - Cincinnati Zoo

Boa constrictor
Common Boa
Class: Reptilia. Order: Squamata. Family: Boidae.
Other names:
Physical Description: The coloring of boa constrictors can
vary greatly depending on the locality. However, they are
generally a brown, grey or cream base color, patterned
with brown or reddish brown "saddles" that become more
pronounced towards the tail. It is this coloring that gives Boa constrictor constrictor the common name of
"red-tailed boa", as it typically has more red saddles than other Boa constrictor subspecies. The coloring
works as very effective camouflage in the jungles and forests of its natural range.
The boas are members of the family of snakes called Boidea which is represented by about 40 species of
snakes. The name boidea is derived from a traditional Brazilian language that described the anaconda as
mboi. Members of this family are found in the tropics of the Americas, Africa, Madagascar, Asia and a few
species on the West coast of North America. They range in size from sand boas which seldom grow more
than 3 feet in length to one of the largest snakes in the world, the anaconda, which has been recorded at
over 35 feet long!
Diet in the Wild: Birds, mammals, reptiles and insects.
Diet at the Zoo: Rodents such as rats and mice
Habitat & Range: Boa constrictors are found from northern Mexico to Argentina.
Life Span: Up to 20 years or more.
Perils in the wild: Predators such as birds of prey, small mammals and other reptiles all can prey on young
snakes of any species. Human activity can also have a negative effect on snakes in the wild.
Physical Adaptations:
Common boas have a Jacobson’s organ, pair of pit-like organs on the roof of the mouth that are
lined with olfactory cells and nerves that interpret chemical stimuli in an animal’s surroundings.
Their forked tongue, flickering through the air, picks up scent particles and conveys them to the roof
of their mouth
Behavioral Adaptations:
Common boas are generally nocturnal in habit.
Generally solitary, except males may display polygyny (see below) during the breeding season.
Reproduction and Development:
Boa constrictors are ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young after the eggs hatch internally.
They will generally breed in the dry season, between April and August. They may be polygynous,
thus males may mate with multiple females. A half of all females will breed in a given year, and a
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larger percentage of males will actively attempt to locate a mate. ]However due to the polygynous
nature of Boa constrictor many of these males will be unsuccessful. The reasoning being the fact
that they are ovoviviparous (i.e. eggs hatching inside the body). As such female boas without a good
enough physical condition will be unlikely to attempt to mate, nor produce viable young if they do
mate.
Additional Information:
Are boas or and python family?
Some herpetologists (a scientist who studies snakes) divide the pythons and boas into separate
families or subfamilies. Which ever classification scheme one adheres to, the boas and pythons are
closely related snakes. What is similar is that they are all primitive snakes with similar physical
characteristics. What is different is the New World boas are bear live young while the Old World
pythons are egg laying.
Conservation Status: (IUCN Status)
Not Assessed; IUCN 2013
Threatened by deforestation and human persecution. In some areas it is feared and often killed on sight.
In some regions boa constrictor numbers have been severely hit by predation from humans and other
animals, and over collection for the exotic and snake skin trades. However most populations are not under
threat of immediate extinction.
Conservation Efforts:
N/A
Glossary: List of definitions of the most important recurrent technical terms used in the text.
oviparity - Reproduction in which the eggs are released by the female; development of the offspring occurs
outside the maternal body. Adj., oviparous
ovoviviparity. Adj. ovoviviparous – Reproduction where the eggs develop within the maternal body
without outside nourishment and hatch within the parent or immediately after laying.
Jacobson’s organ- A pair of pit-like organs on the roof of the mouth that are lined with olfactory cells and
nerves that interpret chemical stimuli in an animal’s surroundings.
nocturnal- Active at night.
Sources:
Hickman, C.P. Roberts, L.S. 1994. Biology of Animals
Halliday, T. Adler, K. 1986. The Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens
http://www.snakesnadders.org/snakesnaddersssssss/id8.html
09/04/2012