Red-tailed Boa
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- Boa Constrictor redirects here. For other uses, see Boa Constrictor (disambiguation)
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| Boa constrictor Linnaeus, 1758 |
Red-tailed Boa or boa constrictor (scientific name), Jibóia (Latin American name), Macajuel pronounced (Mah-cah-well) (Trinidadian name)[1] is a species of boa, the second largest member of the family Boidae after the anaconda. The name "red tailed" boa actually refers to only one subspecies of boa constrictor, the true red tailed BCC or Boa constrictor constrictor. Boa constrictors, depending on their sex (females are larger) and subspecies, can reach from 5 to 12 feet as adults. The largest boa constrictor in captivity is a 14.5-foot long female BCC from Suriname that resides at the San Diego Zoo. Constrictors or BCIs (Boa constrictor imperators, a.k.a. Colombian boas) are commonly misnamed "red tailed" boas and are the most common in captivity by far. They have an attractive and interesting pattern of brown to reddish-brown or black "saddles" or dorsal blobs of color on a lighter background color which can range through white, golden, grey or brownish, pink, with a reddish brown tail (see picture).
They do well in captivity, become quite docile, and are a common sight in zoos. Boas can easily live to be 20 to 30 years old in captivity, with rare accounts of them over 40 years, making them a long-term commitment as a pet. Animal husbandry is the most significant factor in captive lifespan.
Female boas produce live offspring instead of laying eggs. Fertilization by the male is internal. During copulation, females can cling to the male via a small set of "spurs" that are generally hidden below scales on either side of the vent and are actually remnants of the hind legs. The gestation period of boas is 108 days after the post ovulation shed.
BCI genetic anomalies (with mutated genes) or "morphs" are plentiful, produced through selective breeding. Some are color morphs and some are pattern morphs and some morphs are both color and pattern morphs. Some color morphs include albinos (lack of melanin, the black pigment), hypomelanistic (reduced melanin), anerythristic (lack of erythrin, the red pigment). By combining these traits we get snows (anerythristic albinos), ghosts (anerythristic hypomenistic bcis), sunglows ( hypomelanistic albinos) and moonglows (hypomelanistic, anerythristic albinos).
Other subspecies include the aforementioned BCCs (Boa constrictor constrictor), which have a red to bright red tail, and can be equally as colorful and show a more complex and attractive pattern in the saddles with widows peaks extending from the saddles in a longitudinal direction, sometimes. There may even be BCC morphs discovered one day. There are reports of what appear to be hypomelanistic BCCs (they would have to be proven with breeding to be genetically inheritable traits to be considered a morph). There's even a rumor of an albino suriname in captivity.
The species has been divided into a number of sub-species that occur from Mexico to Argentina, as well as on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and St. Lucia. The sub-species vary somewhat in average size, color, and demeanor. They are b c constrictor, b c imperitor, b c longicauda (some say longicauda from northern Peru, is really part of the ortonii subspecies), b c amarali, b c occidentalis, b c ortonii, b c sabogae, in addition there are old classifications like b c melanogaster, b c nebulosa etc.. The smallest boas are the insular boas (island boas) tend to be smaller in size, like Crawl Cay boas, Hogg Island Boas, etc. Another dwarf group is the Tarahumara boa from Mexico. The largest are the true red tailed boas or b c constrictors, and next would be the b c occidantalis (argentine boa).
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[edit] Ecology
The boa is a medium sized nocturnal predator that exists throughout a wide range of habitats in Central and South America. They feed on a variety of species ranging from small rodents and lizards to large birds, coati, iguana or opposum. They favor bats through much of their range, catching them as they hang in trees or caves, or snatching them on the fly. They locate prey via heat sensitive scales on their snout, as well as by scent.
Large boa are occasionally preyed upon by jaguar and caiman. Smaller subspecies or young boas may be eaten by a variety of animals, including various jungle cats, tayra, birds of prey, and even some species of crab.
[edit] In Popular Culture
- In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry finds he can understand snakes when he communicates with a boa constrictor at the zoo. The snake is set free and says to Harry, "Brazil, here I come ... Thanksss, amigo."
[edit] References
- ^ Mendes, John. 1986. Cote ce Cote la: Trinidad & Tobago Dictionary, Arima, Trinidad, p. 92.
