1
The species of boa is an attractive and fascinating reptile. Due to their great
adaptation abilities they make odd, but awesome pets. They eat rats, chicks, and other small
mammals in captivity. Also successful breeding is possible if the creature is properly cared
for. A unique and interesting animal, the Boidae, thrives in tropical and dry climates adapting
well, eating a variety of prey, but poachers and the destruction of their habitats constantly
threaten their existence.
Sixty-five million years ago dinosaurs roamed the Earth. They ranged from large
carnivorous dangerous beasts to little docile herbivorous animals. From them evolved a
species like none other, a legless reptile, the snake. “There are 2,751 different species of snakes
distributed around the world,” (Burton , 210) but in my opinion the boa constrictor is the most
spectacular. There are only a couple of differences between the species of boa and their closest
relative the python. In the boa constrictor a supraorbital bone is found on the roof of its skull
which is absent in the python family. Another difference is that all pythons lay eggs while the
boas have live birth. Boas and pythons both contain a finger like scale on both sides of the
The Essay on Protection Of Endangered Species
Out of all the species that have ever existed since the beginning of time, 98% of them are extinct (Facts). There are an estimated 5-10 million species that exist currently and only 1.5 million have been identified (Sherry, 2). Scientists classify species into six different groups: plants, animals, insects, algae, fungi, and microorganisms (Todays Situation). In the tropical rainforest alone, most ...
cloaca. This is the only evidence that links all snakes to once having come from a reptile with
limbs. Another coincidence is that the boa and python family have exactly the same number of
bones in the pelvis as in that of a lizard. It is interesting to realize that over many years boas
have evolved from creatures with legs.
Boas are very adaptable creatures that have been found all across the globe. “There is
known to be twenty-two species inhabiting South America, twenty species in Central America,
two in North America, three species exist in Madagascar, and another three are found in Papua
New Guinea.”(Schmidt, 175) In tropical forests containing lush vegetation species tend to be
arboreal, tree dwelling, and developed ways to climb and cling on the branches. They scale
2
limbless tree trunks by using the “concitina method”. In this technique they grab on with the
front part of the body, pull the lower end up, and stretch out with the top half to get another grip,
and so on. Boas in the trees also developed prehensile tails used to wrap around branches, like a
hand to hold on allowing them not to plunge to the forest floor.
In dry deserts, indigenous boas are found to have evolved with stubby heads and tails.
With the heads in this shape boas are inclined to borrow underneath the loose soil or sand to
escape the sun and predators. Some boas have been found in sub-tropical climates such as
Florida or California due to the fact that bananas were exported from South America. Baby boas
cling with their tails in the middle of cluster of bananas and when arrived to the destination
they were shipped to the tiny reptiles slithered away into their new environments. Some farmers
released boa constrictors into their farms or plantations to keep down the number of destructive
rodents. As long as the temperature ranges from 65 to 85 degrees these creatures will do quite
well if food is abundant and predators are scarce.
Boas are unique and fascinating creatures when it comes to feeding. They do not stalk
The Term Paper on Female mate choice
It can be surmised that at one point or another in one’s life copulation will be a part of a species life cycle. In order to fully understand the sexual phenomenon that embraces every living and multiplying species this research will study sexual behaviours exhibited by living beings and will focus mainly on the study of female mate choices and related occurences. It has been realized that active ...
their prey, yet ambush it when it comes by. When close they use their heat sensored pits to
locate exactly where to strike, and before you can blink the boa has grabbed the victim by its
mouth and coiled it in its scales. When the snake feels that the prey stops breathing, due to the
fact that he just suffocated it, he releases his strenght and begin to look the head of the creature.
When found the awesome reptile opens his mouth, releasing his jaws, and slides with his teeth th
food entirely into it’s mouth. When the victim is inside the boa uses his muscles to push the prey
further down his body. When in the stomach area the snake uses digestive fluids then begins
breaking down the creatures body parts. Four to eleven days later, depending on the size of the
food, the snake will push remains of the digested prey through the cloaca.
3
Boas eat a variety of food consisting of birds, rodents, bats, iguanas, and other small
creatures they can catch. In captivity however they can be fed with the staple diet of mice or rats.
If the rats are fed well and kept healthy your snakes will live a much longer and healthier life.
Boas breed from February to late April. They copulate up to fifteen times daily for up to
a week within these spring months to make sure each egg gets fertilized. Both the males and the
females contain spurs but the male’s are slightly larger. He uses these to stimulate the female
and eventually she raises her tail and they begin to mate.
The gestation period of female boas, depending on the temperature, “ranges from seven
to thirteen months.”(Mattison, 136) During this time the female will decrease food intake and
become less active. When the time comes the expecting mother gives birth to about “twenty to
sixty neonates.” (Mattison, 137) Each neonate comes out surrounded with a clear membrane. The
new born reptile has to instantly break the sack in order to breath. Neonates are born with the
average length of twenty inches. From the moment of birth they are on their own, free to do
The Research paper on Food Web Case Study
A food web is a type of graph that depicts the relationship between the prey and the predators, also known as a system of food chains and how one another are related. This can be better explained as a connection in a community. Food webs are important because it is a direct illustration of the relationships among certain species within a certain community. Right away the graph will reveal the type ...
what they please and fend for themselves. If they survive through three years of life they are
now capable of producing their own offspring.
Many people fear boas because of the chance they could contain poison. Also their
triangular shaped head, elliptical eyes, and long front curved teeth can fool many people into
believing they are quite venomous. Even though boas are not poisonous , they can infact leave a
nasty bite, leading to numerous stitches and a permanent scar. The reason a boas bite bleeds a
great deal is because the saliva contains an enzyme that kills the plasma in the blood near the
wound, which stops the clotting of the open injury.
Boas in the wild are more likely to flee than stay and fight. If cornered however boas
4
will defend them selves with all their might. It is nearly impossible to avoid a strike by an
enraged boa because of their strong, quick muscles and precise targeting. Most of the boas in
the wild are endangered or threatened mainly because of the destruction of the rain forest. Also
they are restricted from poachers who sell them for money, to produce meat or make leather. If
this act of collecting or destroying in the wild persists than we might loose a very unusual and
beautiful creature that can only coexist with our help and effort.
Boas have an extraordinary, yet adventuresome life. They have lived long before
humans due to their great adaptation abilities, and with our help of preserving their habitat they
should live for further years to come. With their abilities to eat a variety of foods and a variable
amount of sizes, these creatures can range and strive in many different parts of the world. Since
they have numerous neonates it enhances their survival from the poachers and other natural
predators. With our help and mother nature’s loving hand these spectacular creatures will last
not only for us but the following generations.