Boa constrictor | Description, Size, Subspecies, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Boa constrictor | Description, Size, Subspecies, & Facts? ›

Fast Facts

The usual size of mature female boas is between 7 and 10 ft (2.1 and 3.0 m) whereas males are between 6 and 8 ft (1.8 and 2.4 m). Females commonly exceed 10 ft (3.0 m), particularly in captivity, where lengths up to 12 ft (3.7 m) or even 14 ft (4.3 m) can be seen.

After a large meal, a boa doesn't need to eat again for weeks. A boa constrictor grows throughout its whole life, which can be 20 to 30 years. An adult boa will generally weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and grow to about 13 feet (4 meters) long. Boa constrictors tend to live alone.

Boa imperator (Central American Boa/Common Boa)

(You can refer to this CABI datasheet for details.) The Central American Boa tends to be the most docile of the Boa genus, and is the most common species available in the pet trade.

Answer and Explanation: There are more than 40 different species of boa constrictors. The largest species is the anaconda, the largest species of snake in the world. The largest anaconda on record was a female that measured 28 feet long.

The Kenyan Sand Boa is one of the smallest boa species in the world, averaging just 15-25 inches long. A native of Eastern Africa, this boa has adapted itself to a life spent beneath the sand of the desert borders and scrublands found there.

Boas are about 2 feet long when they are born and grow continually throughout their 25 to 30-year lifespan. The largest boa constrictor ever found measured 18 feet.

Boas have special heat-sensing pits on their faces that allow them to detect the body heat of their prey. Boas are nocturnal hunters - they rely on heat-sensing abilities to hunt in the dark.

Most boas do like to be handled, especially with practice.

What is the rarest boa? ›

Brazil's elusive tree boa, Corallus cropanii — also known as Cropan's boa — is one of the world's rarest boas, infrequently sighted and known from only a handful of dead specimens collected after the snake was first seen and described in 1953. However, the species is alive and well, scientists recently discovered.

Rubber boas are considered one of the most docile of the boa species and are often used to help people overcome their fear of snakes. Rubber boas are known to never strike at or bite a human under any circ*mstances but will release a potent musk from their vent if they feel threatened.

Rosy Boa – Rosy Boas are a great option for beginner snake owners. They are small, docile, and easy to care for. Rosy Boas can live up to 15 years and are great for people who want a low-maintenance pet.

On average, pythons are larger than boa constrictors. This is because anacondas are the only species of giant boa, while most other boa constrictors top out at 12-18 feet long.

A couple of specific boa constrictor predators include powerful avians such as the white-bellied sea eagle and the wedge-tailed eagle. Boa constrictors are also occasionally eaten by mammalian and fellow reptilian creatures -- think jaguars and crocodiles, for example.

Rubber boas are considered one of the most docile of the boa species and are often used to help people overcome their fear of snakes. Rubber boas are known to never strike at or bite a human under any circ*mstances but will release a potent musk from their vent if they feel threatened.

On average, pythons are larger than boa constrictors. This is because anacondas are the only species of giant boa, while most other boa constrictors top out at 12-18 feet long. There are several species of giant python, however, including the African python and the Burmese python, as well as the reticulated python.

Their markings are quite bold, a light skin tone, bright red-tails with black outlining. Red-tail Boas can be longer than the commons, ranging from eight to ten feet long. True Guyanas are typically not as easy to find as Commons.