Boa Constrictor Snakes

Boa Constrictor Snakes belong to the Boidae family, and they are common to the Americas. However, this family also includes pythons that can be found in the Old World. The term “constrictor” is due to their natural manner of killing prey by wrapping around it and squeezing it to the point of suffocation. Boa Constrictor Snakes are not venomous.

Boa Constrictor Snakes have a different anatomy than other snakes. They have two lungs (other snakes have one lung) and two rudimentary hind limbs, which proves their genetic kinship to lizards. There are about 30 Boa species found in the Americas, and they vary in size, color and life mode: they can be arboreal, burrowing or terrestrial, depending on the habitat.

Boas feed on large lizards, birds, opossums, bats, mongooses, rats, and squirrels. Boa Constrictor Snakes are nocturnal hunters and, when hunting, they rely on their heat-sensitive scales to identify prey in their vicinity. They also take bats, which is their most favorite dish, as they catch them in midair and use their famous wrap-around-and-suffocate constricting technique. Boas are excellent swimmers, and they often stalk prey near water when it comes around for a drink. Boa Constrictor snakes swallow game whole, without chewing it, as their digestive system produces extremely active acids. Boas do not require much food, and, having caught a large animal, it can take a week for a Boa to digest it. Boa Constrictor Snakes are cold-blooded, so the body temperature depends on the temperature around.

Although Boa Constrictor Snakes are solitary, they do come together during breeding seasons. Females attract males by emitting a secretion from the cloaca. Boas do not lay eggs, as they reproduce by internal fertilization. The rudimentary legs (claws) are longer in males, and they serve to facilitate copulation.

Boa Constrictor Snakes do not usually attack people without provocation. They do not attack without warning. They warn potential enemies of their presence by loud hissing, which can be audible about 100 ft away. Actually, they pose much less danger for us than we do for them. Mostly, snakes are killed for their skin and scales. Not infrequently, they are killed for food. More often than not, Boa Constrictor Snakes are regarded with prejudice and hence they get killed out of mere fear.