BOA CONSTRICTOR
Boa Constrictors are one of the largest snakes in the world, along with the Python and Anaconda.
Boas are non-poisonous but just as deadly. They ambush their prey, which means that they will hide and wait for something yummy to go by and then do a surprise attack.
They use their flicking tongue to pick up the scent. Just as their name suggests, they will coil their bodies around the prey and with each breath of the prey they will constrict, or squeeze, their coils just a little tighter until the animal can no longer breath. Their prey consists of birds,
lizards, frogs and small mammals. Larger Boas will even eat monkeys, pigs or deer.
Although they are not considered Pit Vipers, some Boas have heat-sensitive scales around their mouths that help them find prey in the dark.
These snakes live in hot, tropical places and can be found both on the ground and in trees.
Boas give birth to live young, which means that they develop completely inside their mother. Once they are born they are on their own and know pretty much all they have to know about finding food and hiding.
Boas are said to be the most beautifully colored of all snakes. |
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Two Boa Constrictors
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Photo Source: National Geographic Photo Gallery
Photographer: Bates Littlehales |
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