Red-tailed Boa

Description

It is one of the largest snakes living today. Its coloration is reddish brown with saddle-shaped dorsal sports in the anterior part and triangular in the posterior third; these spots are blackish brown or reddish with black or whitee edges and serve as camouflage among foliage on the ground. The pupils are vertical.

Behaviour

They are solitary, nocturnal and semi-arboreal, these magnificent snakes spend most of their time in the trees. It is a constrictor species, it locates its prey by perceiving vibrations and capturing chemical signals. Once the prey is caught, the boa surrounds it with its body until it suffocates. Then, it swallows the prey whole.
Males tend to cluster around a single female during courtship. It is an ovoviviparous species, that is, the female will retain the eggs inside ger and give birth to her young.

Interesting Facts

This species is not threatened in the wild although populations are declining due to hunting for its skin and meat. They are also affected by habitat loss due to oil, mining, and agricultural activities in various parts of their range.