Hogg Island Boa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hogg Island Boa | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hogg Island Boa
|
||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||
|
Hog Island Boas (sometimes spelled Hogg Island Boas) are relatively small boa constrictors from a group of two small islands and coral cays Los Cayos Cochinos, or The Hog Islands, off the north coast of Honduras in Central America. These snakes are grouped under Boa constrictor Imperator. They are naturally hypomelanistic, i.e. they have reduced melanin, which makes them have a lighter colour, but they retain the distinctive darker tail that is characteristic of most snakes from the boa constrictor group. The colour of the tail can range from salmon pink to orange. Like many species of snake, Hog Island Boa females are often bigger, and more girthy than the males; an average male will grow to about 5 feet (1.5 metres), whereas females usually grow to about 6 feet, with a maximum of 7 feet (just over 2 metres). These snakes are constrictors that asphyxiate (suffocate) their prey; they are not venomous. An adult will take prey the size of an adult rat. Contrary to popular belief, constrictors do not kill their prey by crushing, but by tightening its grip every time the prey breathes out until it cannot breathe any longer. They are oviparous (live bearing) like many boas. The scales can have an iridescent shimmer. Like many other Boa constrictors, they change colour according to the times of day, being lighter at night, and darker and more speckled in day.
Hog Island Boas are normally docile snakes and quite easy to care for, although they may be expensive to buy. The humidity requirements are similar to those of other boas, but they need an extra large water bowl to keep the humidity up.
Hogs are becoming increasingly rare and there are worries that they are almost extinct in the wild. Unfortunately, many people cross breed the snakes, so the true Hogs are getting fewer and fewer. A crossbred snake may look different, it may be bigger, or smaller. There is much higher demand for these snakes than there is supply. There are research projects under way to evaluate them in the wild. Hopefully in the future, enough people will have kept the stock pure, so that some may be released into the wild.
is/Hog Shade Phases/DarkPhase01.jpg This is a Hog Island Boa in the darker phase.
 |
This snake article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
