What does a boa constrictor eat? Common boa constrictor (Constrictor constrictor, Boa constrictor) How fast imperial boas grow

Boa constrictor ordinary ( Boa constrictor) due to its frequent mention in adventure stories and a very beautiful pattern that can vary significantly, is one of the most famous snakes in the whole world. Its other names, such as "sacred snake" or "serpent of the gods", are associated with the cults of the indigenous population. South America and Africa. Although there is a lot of talk about the common boa constrictor terrible legends, in South America it has never been considered a source of danger to humans.

HABITAT

The common boa constrictor comes from the area located between southern Mexico and Argentina, as well as from the Lesser Antilles. He prefers to be on the ground near water bodies in arid areas, in light forests, in savanna-like forests and in dense shrubs.

The common boa constrictor belongs to cold-blooded animals, that is, it consumes extremely little energy for its metabolism, since it is not necessary to constantly maintain body temperature; Moreover, it depends on the temperature environment. The length of his body is much larger in relation to the volume. Therefore, stretched out, they can heat up very quickly, receiving thermal energy. The snake can compensate for heat loss by curling up into a ball, thereby reducing its surface. The shape of the hose gives snakes other advantages: it helps, for example, when running away, since animals can hide in narrow cracks.

SMALL HEAD AND BIG BOOTY

The shape of the head is main disadvantage: the mouth of the animals is very small compared to the amount of food required. As compensation, snakes have an extremely extensible and movable jaw, allowing them to catch and swallow prey, which is huge compared to their body volume. The need for food in common boas, the length of which can be over 4 m, is very high. They feed exclusively on vertebrates, their biggest prey being boar-like peccaries and Patagonian maras. In order to swallow such prey, they can spread the upper and lower jaws. In addition, half mandible do not fuse firmly with one another, but are connected by a very elastic ligament. The bones of the skull are reduced to a minimum, and the trachea is mobile enough so that animals can breathe during a meal, sometimes lasting for hours.

After a meal, an ordinary boa constrictor takes a pause, sometimes lasting for a whole week, during which he tries to move as little as possible. There is a process of digestion, the next meal will be required only in a few weeks or months. The common boa constrictor starts hunting at nightfall. In order to catch prey even in complete darkness, it has a special heat-sensitive organ that captures thermal radiation. This allows the boa constrictor to accurately feel the temperature difference and distinguish a potential victim from the environment. Unlike other snakes, boas do not lay eggs, but give birth to live young. The female produces up to 60 eggs in her body, which are in the womb until the small snakes hatch. Young animals 20-50 cm long immediately become independent.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF

Boa constrictor ordinary ( Boa constrictor)

reptile class.
Detachment scaly.
Family of boa constrictor snakes.
Distribution: Southern to.
Length: over 4 m.
Weight: up to 60 kg.
Food: birds, lizards, mammals.
Duration of pregnancy: 5-7 months.
Number of cubs: up to 60.
Life expectancy: no information.

close relative the Western Asian hamster, unfortunately, can be very rarely found in Central Europe. Despite this, the common hamster ...

Latin name– Boa constrictor

English name– Red-tailed boa

Class– Reptiles or Reptiles (Reptilia)

Detachment– Scaly (Squamata)

Suborder- Serpents

Family– False-legged snakes (Boidae)

Genus– Boa constrictors (Boa)

Boas are a group of reptiles that differ from poisonous snakes special way of hunting. As the name of these reptiles testifies, boas do not bite their victims, but suffocate them. In this technique, they are not original, their close relatives, pythons and anacondas, do the same. However, boas surpass their non-poisonous counterparts in diversity: in nature there are 60 species of them.

Distribution and habitats

The range of the common boa constrictor is very extensive. This snake is common in South and Central America and the Lesser Antilles. lifestyle in different parts The range is different and depends on the habitat.

Boa constrictor inhabits moist forests and river valleys, dry shrub thickets, rises to the middle belt of mountains. The southernmost subspecies lives in arid open spaces. However, the most preferred biotope is tropical rain forests.

Description

Among the boas there are real giants, for example, the common anaconda (lat. Eunectes murinus), reaching a length of more than 10 meters.

The coloration of boas is similar to the dominant colors in their habitats. It can be gray-brown in species that live on the ground, or bright, sometimes contrasting colors in individuals living in trees or in the forest floor. Some boas have stripes on the body, as well as large or small spots of a round, oblong or rhomboid shape and a wide variety of colors, while the spots can be with or without eyes. In some species, the skin can cast a metallic sheen of all colors of the rainbow (for example, in the rainbow boa). Earth boas have the ability to change color, acquiring a lighter or darker color. At night, reflective spots and stripes appear on their body, which create a phosphorescent effect.

characteristic feature boas, in addition to a flattened head and lack of limbs, is a long muscular body of a rounded cross section. The body of sand boas has a cylindrical shape, it is very dense and with well-developed muscles. There is no narrowing in the neck of sand boas, the tail is blunt and rather short.

The skull of the boa constrictor has a unique structure that allows it to swallow large prey. This is achieved due to the movable connection of the bones of the facial part, as well as the elastic articulation of the parts of the lower jaw among themselves. Sharp teeth are located not only on the jaws, but also on the bones that make up the oral apparatus (palatine, pterygoid and intermaxillary). This is due to the fact that boa constrictors do not need teeth to crush the caught prey, but only to hold or push it deep into the esophagus. On the surface of the head are large keratinized scutes, grouped in a certain order. Unlike pythons, boas have no supraorbital bones.

Unlike other boas, in Mascarene boas, the maxillary bone is divided into 2 movably interconnected parts: anterior and posterior.

The structure of the shortened and flattened head of sand boas is interesting. The wedge-shaped upper jaw, which serves as a burrowing tool, is noticeably pushed forward, so the mouth opening is located below. A large intermaxillary shield extends to the top of the head, taking on the entire load as the boa moves through the soil. The anterior teeth of the upper and lower jaws of the sand boa are slightly longer than the posterior ones.

Unlike other reptiles, which completely lack the belts of the fore and hind limbs, the pelvic bones of the boas are preserved in a rudimentary state. In addition, they still have the remains of the hind limbs, which appear as paired claws located on both sides of the anus. True, there is an exception here: for example, these rudiments are completely absent in Mascarene boas.

Depending on the size of the boa constrictor, the number of vertebrae that make up the spinal column can vary from 141 to 435. A characteristic feature of the structure of the skeleton of snakes is the absence of a sternum, which makes the ribs extremely mobile.

All internal organs of these reptiles have an elongated modified shape, due to general structure body. Paired organs are located asymmetrically, and can be developed unevenly. So, for example, the right lung is much larger in size than the left. In earthen boas (lat. Tropidophiidae), a typical left lung is absent - it has turned into a tracheal (tracheal) lung and is formed by an expansion of the back of the trachea.

The nervous system of boas consists of a small brain and a well-developed spinal cord, which determines the high accuracy and speed of muscle reactions.

In the surrounding space, boas are guided by the organs of smell and touch. In addition, most of the information is brought by heat-sensitive receptors located on the front of the muzzle, and a forked tongue that transmits information to the brain with the help of special paired organs, which are a kind of chemical analyzers.

The vision of boas is not very sharp. This is in particular due to the fact that eyes with vertical pupils are always covered with a film that has formed from the eyelids fused together. The eyes of sand boas are small and slightly turned upwards - this arrangement is convenient because, even digging into the ground, the boa constrictor can view everything that happens on the surface without sticking its head out.

Due to the fact that reptiles do not have external auditory openings, and the middle ear is underdeveloped, all snakes poorly distinguish sounds that propagate through the air.

The body of boas from the sides and from above is covered with rhomboid-rounded scales, slightly overlapping each other. Such plates are arranged in longitudinal or diagonal rows. Between the scales of the longitudinal rows there are areas of skin that are collected in small folds, allowing the integument of the body to be strongly stretched. The plates located on the belly of reptiles have a transversely elongated shape and are also interconnected by patches of skin.

As they grow, the upper integument ages and flakes off. There is a process of molting, and the first change of skin occurs a few days after the birth of the snake. In healthy boas, the frequency of change of covers does not exceed 4 times a year.

Gender differences

There are no fundamental differences in the size and coloration of males and females. In males, the tail is long with a characteristic thickening at the base, from the anus it is cylindrical, then passes into a cone. In females, the tail is shorter, without thickening at the base, cone-shaped. In males, relatively large, claw-like rudiments of the hind limbs, located on the sides near the anus, are clearly visible; in females, they are smaller and not so prominent. Females are usually more massive and larger than males.

Subspecies

There are 10 subspecies of the common boa constrictor (Boa constrictor):

Biotope and lifestyle in nature

Wide variety of biotopes. Tropical moist forests, sparse woodlands, foothill forests, mountain slopes (up to 2000 m above sea level) and rocky low mountains covered with shrubs, caves, floodplains of rivers and streams, banks of reservoirs, mangroves, sea ​​coast, prairies and pampas, outskirts of towns and cities. Prefers biotopes with permanent sources fresh water. It climbs trees well, in some points of its range it leads a semi-arboreal way of life, and in some it is purely terrestrial. The day spends in crevices, forest blockages and other shelters, hunts at twilight, night and morning hours. It swims well, can stay in water bodies for a very long time. Boa constrictors are kept in houses by residents of cities and towns, where they hunt rodents.

What does a boa constrictor eat?

The diet of boas is very diverse. It includes not only small or medium animals, birds and amphibians, but also more major representatives wildlife (antelope, crocodiles). Small boas feed on possums, mongooses, rats, frogs, lizards, waterfowl and other birds and their chicks (ducks, pigeons, parrots and sparrows). Agouti, paki, bakers also become prey for snakes. Cuban boas, among other things, catch bats. Larger boas, such as anacondas, can easily attack capybaras, small crocodiles (caimans), as well as large turtles. Also, a boa constrictor can attack a pet that has approached a watering hole: a dog, pig, chicken or duck.

Having attacked the victim, the boas wrap their rings around it. However, they never break the bones of their victims, so as not to harm their digestive system.

The diet of sand boas includes small rodents (hamsters, jerboas, gerbils and mice), small birds (sparrows, wagtails), and lizards (geckos, agamas, roundheads, foot and mouth disease). Juveniles feed on locusts and darklings. While hunting, snakes easily crawl into rodent burrows. Caught prey sand boas they hold with their teeth and easily kill, wrapping around the victim with 2-3 rings of their muscular body.

Scientists who study snakes and have lived for a long time in the Amazon, they claim that a giant boa constrictor is able to swallow prey that is thicker than its body, if the weight of the prey does not exceed 60 kg ( wild pigs, small-sized deer and antelopes). Young individuals of larger animals can also become their victims.

Unlike other snakes, these reptiles are able to hunt in total darkness. They have special receptors located between the nostrils and eyes that are sensitive to heat. This allows the boas, even at a distance, to notice the approaching victim by the heat emanating from her body.

Boas eat little. After swallowing a large piece, they can go without food for several weeks to several months.

Reproduction and lifespan

Boas become sexually mature at about 4-5 years of age. The mating period of these reptiles depends on the type of snake and habitat. Pregnancy lasts from 5 to 10 months.

IN mating season boas practically stop feeding, and several excited males appear near a mature female. They arrange a kind of "knightly tournaments", and in order to win back the "lady" from the opponent, they bite and push him. The winner flirts with the female for several hours (sometimes even a whole day), rubs his body against her and can prick her with the claws of the rudimentary hind limbs located near the anus. Mating can take place both in trees and on the ground, depending on the variety of boas.

Almost all boas are ovoviviparous according to the method of reproduction. This means that during the reproduction of offspring, they simultaneously show signs of oviparous birth and live birth. During pregnancy, the stage of egg development passes in the female in the body, but she does not lay them, as, for example, pythons, but carries them in her womb. In this case, the embryo receives nutrition from the substances contained in the egg yolk, and is not associated with the metabolism of the female's body. The young leave the egg shell while still inside the mother. Fully formed small snakes are born, connected by an umbilical cord to the rest of the yolk sac. After 2-5 days, the umbilical cord falls off.

There are also boas that lay eggs. These are some species that belong to smooth-lipped boas (lat. Epicrates), to earth boas (for example, Eryx jayakari and Eryx muelleri). Calabariidae are also oviparous, which were previously classified as prolegs, but then separated into a separate family, Calabariidae.

In females belonging to different types, the number of born cubs varies from 2-5 to 60 individuals. The body length of babies is 40-50 centimeters. Females give birth to 25 snakes in one litter, but the number of cubs can be 10-60. Small boas immediately begin to lead an independent life. In the early years, they grow rapidly. Sexual maturity occurs in the third or fourth year of life. Boas grow throughout life. IN wild nature boas live 20-25 years, in captivity, subject to the required temperature and diet, these reptiles live up to 30-40 years.

In the wildlife of our planet, there are not so few different species of these mysterious animals, but far from all are suitable for keeping in your home or office. Some representatives of this amazing genus are not very friendly and accommodating with people. Your attention is presented to the most studied types of boas, which can be classified as "pets".

sand boa

Eryx miliaris. This delightful false-legged reveres the western part of Kazakhstan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan as its homeland; in Russia, the territories of the Eastern Ciscaucasia and the southern part of the Lower Volga region are considered to be its habitat. As for the habitat, his favorite areas are sandy deserts, although he does not crush clay deserts either.

This eccentric is not particularly large in size, it is considered one of the smallest representatives of its kind. In length, it can grow up to approximately 70–80 cm. Its body is solid, which means that the head is not separated from the body itself by some kind of cervical interception. This reptile locals often called a two-headed snake, for the reason that its short, blunt tail is sometimes very difficult to distinguish from the head. This feature often saves the life of this sand snake, as predators also confuse its front and tail ends.

Another feature of this reptile is the location of its eyes and nostrils. The peculiar shape of the nostrils prevents sand from getting into them while “swimming” in it, and the visual organs are located high, helping to inspect the surrounding area without betraying the reptile itself from the sand.

Despite their stealth and caution, these cute creatures often fall into the clutches of dangerous predators and people who take them to terrariums or simply use them as medicines for many ailments, while earning their fortunes.

Madagascar boa constrictor

Sanzinia madagascariensis. This native of Madagascar lives in forest areas with different humidity levels.

This Madagascar wonder of nature is quite large in size. Its body length is approximately 2.2–2.8 meters. The weight of males and females varies greatly, an adult male weighs about 3 kg, while a female boa constrictor can have twice the body weight.

Perhaps, calling card of this snake is its extraordinary color, which is represented intricate pattern. The color scheme of the main tone can vary in brown, green, yellow and even red shades. On the back, a beautiful ornament of large spotted diamond-shaped elements is visualized. Sometimes there may be light blotches in the center of the rhombus, or it is often decorated with a marginal edging of light shades.

These pseudo-legs lead both arboreal and terrestrial lifestyles. Sometimes they go in search of prey on the ground, and sometimes they can hunt on tree branches, where they can also spend their leisure time, relaxing and bathing in the sun.

rainbow boa

Epicrates cenchria. The distribution of this reptile in the wild is quite wide, it lives in territories from Central America to northern Argentina. Feels very comfortable in dense forests with increased level humidity and other wetlands.

Looking at this reptile, the question immediately arises in my head: “Why is it rainbow?”. After all, everyone associates the word “rainbow” with something unusually bright and cheerful, and the color of this creature is far from unique. The coloring of this reptile itself is inconspicuous, as for the rainbow. The main tone is represented by a brown-reddish color. But as soon as this wonderful scaly one meets a sunbeam, all the mystery of his name is explained at this very moment. In the sun, its modest color begins to sparkle with small sparks of green and golden colors, with each movement of the snake in the sun, the surface of its body acquires a unique brilliance and shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.

dog-headed boa

Corallus caninus. A snake of the boa subfamily. Found only in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Guyana.

The largest reaches a length of 2.5 m. It is distinguished by an emerald green color. Habitats - tropical rainforests, along river banks, in alpine forests. As a rule, boas live in the crowns of trees, preying on birds, arboreal rodents and lizards. They usually mate in late autumn or early winter.

Terrarium

Place branches in the house for the boa constrictor so that he can climb them. The fact is that in nature, snakes like to settle on branches and hunt - give your pet the same opportunity and he will feel “at home”.

Now about the ground. It should be either coconut flakes or peat flooring. In a good way, it is necessary to change the bedding as it gets dirty, but the tenant will not mind if you do this every 3-4 days. Who doesn't love cleanliness?

Save temperature regime. Boas like it to be 28-30 degrees Celsius during the day, and not fall below 22 at night. In addition, the terrarium should be humid. To do this, you need to spray it. Be careful - no need to arrange tropical showers, slush in the terrarium is bad. And even more so, do not make it rain on the snake itself - it will annoy her.

We are gradually approaching feeding the pet and here are the important nuances that you should be aware of:

• you can not overfeed the boa constrictor. You will not believe, but these animals also have the problem of obesity. But if for you and me it is solved by diets and physical activity, then for these creatures everything can end badly. It is unlikely that you will force the snake to do exercises in the morning, so try not to overfeed it and everything will be fine.
• if, out of the kindness of your soul, you still overfeed the boa constrictor, then do not expect offspring!
• we feed the pet strictly according to the schedule and dosed, despite the pleading hungry look of unblinking eyes.

What to feed a boa constrictor?

You can’t buy dry food for a boa constrictor anywhere. Because boas love all living things, and they are unlikely to want to supply live food to pet stores (at least in the form of food for boas). You will have to personally harvest mice, jerboas, rats, hamsters, or, in extreme cases, rabbits and chickens for your troglodyte. And in no case do not try to catch wild pigeons! They can infect the boa constrictor with salmonella.

Advice: try to string a piece of meat on a twig (from a broom, for example) and offer it to a boa constrictor. The twig will move, and the boa constrictor will think that this meat is moving and will “catch” it with pleasure.

Also worth remembering: a small snake (by the standards of boas, of course) should not be fed large food, otherwise the animal may have a rupture of the intestine, and this is fraught with a difficult operation.

So, if you still decide to feed your pet, for example, mice, then here is an approximate diet:

• For a newborn animal, 1 mouse per week will be enough.
• A young individual will cost 1 rat in 2 weeks.
• An adult female will be happy to receive 2 large rats 1 r. at 3 weeks.
• Adult male - 1 large rat 1 r. at 3 weeks.

If you do not like to watch how a boa constrictor strangles its victim and then swallows it, then food objects can be given to the pet already dead.

As for water, it must be always available to the snake. Install a drinking bowl and fill it with fresh water each time.

1. Boas suffocate their victims with the following technique: by winding themselves around chest The prey boa "pulls off" its rings on its chest as it exhales. As a result of 2-3 exhalations, the victim has almost no air left in the lungs, and she can no longer inhale.
2. Boas, like other amphibians, are cold-blooded animals, i.e. their body temperature depends on the ambient temperature. The activity of boas depends on this. The higher the temperature, the more active they behave. The best way calm the boa constrictor - lower the temperature in the terrarium.
3. Boas differ from other snakes in their ability to hunt in zero visibility. They have temperature-sensitive receptors located between the eyes and nostrils. These organs determine the heat emanating from the body of the alleged victim at a considerable distance in complete darkness, allowing the boa constrictor to hunt at night as effectively as during the day.
4. Most snakes use their tongue to pick up airborne particles, while their nostrils are used only for breathing. When the snake draws its tongue inward, the particles are absorbed by special depressions in the palate of the snake's mouth, thus it perceives smells.

Video

Sources

https://nashzeleniymir.ru/boa constrictor https://animalreader.ru/udav-vse-o-zhizni-bolshoy-zmei.html#i-2 https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_boa constrictor

Boa(Boa constrictor) native to the forests of Central and South America. The length of the boa rarely exceeds 3 meters. He does well in a very spacious comfortable terrarium with local ground heating, climbing trunks and a large water tank. The temperature during the day should be within 25-32 "C, at night it can drop to 20-22" C.

Healthy boas have an excellent appetite, which can lead to obesity. And obese boas are practically incapable of reproduction. Therefore, they should be fed little by little and as varied as possible. So, young boas eat domestic and white mice, voles, young rats, hamsters, sparrows, chickens, chicks, pigeons; adults - rats, guinea pigs, kittens, puppies, rabbits. It should be noted that when feeding boas with feral domestic pigeons, there is a risk of infection with salmonellosis.

Common boas have repeatedly bred in the terrarium. To do this, you need to keep the most common forms of this species. About getting offspring from Boa constrictor occidentaens And Boa constrictor ottoni, as well as cases of hybridization of subspecies have been reported less frequently. This terrarium boa has become almost a pet, but, unfortunately, a purebred subspecies is very rare.

Special preparation for breeding boas is not required. They mate from August to September and from February to May. Mating lasts several hours after restless climbing in the terrarium, sometimes for a whole day. The terrariumists determine the gestation period in different ways - from 17 to 42 weeks. Finally, the female begins to lay eggs - about every three minutes, a transparent egg, inside of which young boas are visible. Some snakes immediately stick their heads out of the egg and begin to explore their surroundings with their tongue.

Childbirth lasts 2 - 3 hours. As a result, the female boa constrictor loses about half of its weight (about 4 kilograms). There are usually 20 - 30 snakes in a litter (but can be over 60). The number of unfertilized eggs or dead fetuses also varies.

There are very productive producers. One female gave birth to about 350 live boas in 9 years. Naturally, important role here played a strong constitution of the animal and good conditions.

Most newborn boas are released from the shell very quickly, and without any help from a person. But some help may be helpful. Sometimes it is necessary to help in tearing the shell of the egg. If newborn snakes, connected to the yolk sac by an umbilical cord about 15 centimeters long, cannot immediately bite it on their own, the umbilical cord should be cut with scissors. The part of it that remains with the animal (about 10 centimeters) soon dries up and disappears after a few days. Bathing in warm water immediately after birth, it helps the snake to get rid of the mucus that covers it at birth.

Newborn boas have a length of 35 - 55 centimeters and a weight of 45 - 95 grams. In most cases, their length is 50 centimeters, weight - about 60 grams. The characteristic coloration persists throughout life.

Growing boas, as a rule, does not present any particular difficulties. Already 5 hours after birth, they make their first attempt to catch a mouse, but do not eat it. At three weeks of age, the first molt occurs, and the skin becomes strong, yellowish in color. After that, the strongest boas begin to eat adult mice. Sparrow chicks are a special delicacy.

At first, boas grow slowly, by the year they reach a length of about 80 centimeters and a weight of 300 grams. IN good conditions they can become sexually mature at three years of age.

The undisputed favorite among large snakes contained in terrariums, was and remains an ordinary boa constrictor. Elegant coloring, calm disposition with an impressive appearance and unpretentiousness became the reason for its wild popularity among snake lovers.

They are really handsome: an exquisite and bizarre pattern on a skin that is glossy with a slight iridescent tint, a small chiseled head, a rather slender, and surprisingly proportionate physique.

Such a bright, eye-catching color turns out to be very appropriate in natural environment, hiding the snake among the intertwining branches and the mosaic of leaves rainforest. Most often in terrariums there are representatives of a subspecies from Central America, which is called the imperial boa constrictor. The rarer and more expensive red-tailed boas from the Orinoco basin are the dream of many lovers.

Common boas require a spacious terrarium, decorated with thick climbing branches, with a large pond. In captivity, they usually do not grow longer than 3 meters, so their housing fits perfectly into the usual atmosphere of a city apartment. Various rodents and birds serve as food, while, unlike pythons, food objects should not be too large. Common boas breed easily in captivity, and for this they do not require external stimulation, such as wintering or changing the light regime. What is especially pleasant, they are viviparous. Young people do not suffer from a lack of appetite, although they do not grow very quickly at first, which may not be bad.

The equanimity and peacefulness of these snakes makes them very pleasant to talk to, and undemanding to conditions allows them to be kept even by terrariumists with minimal experience.