#Python vs boa constrictor skin#

When not clouded, boa constrictors have excellent vision. This affects their vision and as a result, they often stay still for a few days until their vision returns to normal, Heyborne said.

#Python vs boa constrictor skin#

When theyвЂ™re shedding, boa constrictors вЂњtend to become more easily stressed and thus more aggressive,вЂќ though that tends to vary from snake to snake and across populations.ДЄlso when shedding, boa constrictorsвЂ™ eyes cloud over as a lubricating substance develops under the old skin layer to shield the eye. вЂњLike all snakes, they must shed their skin in order to grow,вЂќ said Heyborne. Sometimes they hide in the burrows of medium-sized mammals. Because of their large size, they tend to move in a straight line instead of slithering back and forth like smaller snakes, according to the San Diego Zoo. Though they are good swimmers, they prefer to be on dry land or in trees. These snakes, especially young ones, are semi-arboreal, said Heyborne. They are mostly nocturnal, though they will sometimes come out during the day to sun themselves in cooler temperatures. BehaviorД«oa constrictors are typically solitary, said Heyborne. They are often found near streams or rivers, according to the ADW. They can also be found in dry tropical deserts and semi-deserts, woodlands, scrub and agricultural areas. When they do reside in rainforests, they tend to stick to the edges or clearings.

Though stories often depict boa constrictors living in jungles, their habitats are actually much more diverse. Previously, scientists thought that all members of the family Boidae were New World snakes, but certain boa species have been discovered in remote areas such as Mauritius and New Guinea, according to the San Diego Zoo. They are also found on islands in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coast. They are found throughout the Americas, ranging from northern Mexico through Central America and into Peru on the west side of the Andes and south to Argentina on the east side. Hunted for their fine, ornate skin and for sale in the exotic pet trade, some boa constrictors have protected status in their range.Boa constrictors are New World snakes, meaning they live exclusively in the Western hemisphere, according to the ADW. The largest boa constrictor ever found measured 18 feet.

Boas are about 2 feet long when they are born and grow continually throughout their 25 to 30-year lifespan. Reproduction and ConservationДЇemale boas incubate eggs inside their bodies and give birth up to 60 live babies. Their jaws can stretch wide to swallow large prey whole. Boas will eat almost anything they can catch, including birds, monkeys, and wild pigs. Their jaws are lined with small, hooked teeth for grabbing and holding prey while they wrap their muscular bodies around their victim, squeezing until it suffocates.

Significantly smaller than anacondas, boas can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh more than 100 pounds. Like their anaconda cousins, they are excellent swimmers, but prefer to stay on dry land, living primarily in hollow logs and abandoned mammal burrows. BehaviorД«oas are nonvenomous constrictors found in tropical Central and South America. Depending on the habitat they are trying to blend into, their bodies can be tan, green, red, or yellow, and display cryptic patterns of jagged lines, ovals, diamonds, and circles. Boa constrictors wear some of the most distinctive markings of all reptiles.