SCIENTIFIC NAME: Boa constrictor

The Colombian red-tailed boa is closely related to the python. One of the differences between the boas and pythons is that while pythons lay eggs, boas give live birth. It’s pale sandy brown (which may have a pink cast) with 15 to 20 chocolate brown marks on its back. The largest boa constrictor ever caught was 18.5 feet long. It’s a very popular pet snake because it tends to be very docile and beautiful without being too large. Boa constrictors are known to forage in the trees, but they are mainly terrestrial and live in areas like hollow logs and mammal burrows. A female boa constrictor bears her young alive (ovoviviparous) and has been known to give birth to as many as 64 at one time. The boa will use its keen sense of smell to detect the presence of other animals. It will kill its prey by coiling around and suffocating rather than crushing. The boa's loosely hinged jaws can be stretched to allow the snake to swallow animals with bodies much larger in diameter than the boa's head. All species of boas are endangered or restricted. It’s hunted for leather, meat and the live animal trade. Captive breeding of boa constrictors has helped increase the chances of survival of the species.