Boa Constrictor

Boa constrictor

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing boa constrictors. This snake’s scientific name is the same as its common name. Another animal that shares this trait is the Tyrannosaurus rex! Taxonomically speaking, snakes commonly known as “boas” are classified in a single family. This family includes tree boas and anacondas. We’re getting more specific with this video and focusing on the species Boa constrictor. We’ll save the other types of boas for other episodes! For a long time there was only a single species classified in the Boa genus. Today, some Boa subspecies may be reclassified as a new species, but for the purposes of this video we’ll stick with the Boa constrictor. Just remember, animal classification can always change with new information!

Boa constrictors are also known as red-tailed boas. They get this name from the red colored saddles on their tails. These snakes live from northern Mexico throughout Central and South America as well as on islands off the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Their habitats include forested areas along forest edges and waterways. Though boa constrictors swim well, they don’t have an affinity for water like their anaconda cousins. Boa constrictors also live in grasslands and semi-desert areas. Young boa constrictors are more arboreal than adults meaning they spend more time in trees. Adults climb in trees or slithering along the ground.

These snakes don’t use venom. As their name suggests, boa constrictors are constricting snakes meaning they use their strong muscles to subdue prey. This can lead to confusion between boas and pythons since both these groups of snakes dispatch their prey this way. Boas don’t have pit organs like those found in the common pet species the ball python. Boa constrictors also have more scales across their head than ball pythons. More generally, boas give birth to live young while pythons lay eggs.

Boa constrictor prey includes rodents, lizards, bats, and larger animals like ocelots. They can reach 13 feet (4m) at maximum length, though on average they range between 6.5 and 10 feet (2-3m). They can reach more than 100 pounds (45kg) in weight, though on average they weigh about half this. They might seem like the top of the food chain, boa constrictors have their own predators to deal with like caimans, jaguars, and birds of prey. They’re not known to attack humans unprovoked. Even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to wrap their mouth around a human even as small as a child.

Boa constrictors tend to be solitary snakes but they come together to mate during the dry season. They have multiple mates in a season. The males seek out females who attract them with pheromones. Female boa constrictors are larger than males because they retain their eggs and have to nourish their babies. Gestation in these snakes lasts anywhere from five to eight months depending on the environmental temperature. The female will give birth to ten to more than 60 babies who are independent from birth. Due to the strain raising babies puts on females, they don’t breed every year. In the wild, boa constrictors may live to be 20 years old!

For more facts on boa constrictors, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you to these viewers for today’s request! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!