
Boa constrictors will eat any animal they can get their large jaws to stretch over. Although as they get larger, they tend to spend more time on the ground, they are semi-arboreal and will climb trees to hunt birds. The constriction cuts blood circulation to vital organs, quickly shutting down the body and killing the prey.īoa constrictors hunt small mammals, reptiles, and birds. For many years it was believed that the constriction was killed by suffocation, but new research has brought to light that the mechanism of death is the disruption of the circulatory system. They are non-venomous snakes that kill by constricting their prey. See also 15 Animals Similar to a Squirrel The differences and variations in these Boa constrictor subspecies are sometimes very subtle, but looking at their localities and unique physical markers will help you identify all the different Boa constrictors in your life. Although similar, there are differences in appearance and adaptations across regions. There are currently ten types of Boa constrictors recognized in taxonomy Amarai’s, Red-tailed, Northern, Tumbes Peru, Mexican, Dominican Clouded, Argentine, St Lucia, Orton’s, and the Pearl Island boa constrictor. Pythons are also referred to as old-world snakes being found across Asia, Africa, and Australia.īoas can be found worldwide but are primarily concentrated in the Americas and therefore seen as new-world snakes. The main difference between these closely related snakes is reproduction, where Boas give birth to live young while Pythons lay eggs.

In other words, a Boa constrictor is a type of Boa snake.īoas are also not to be confused with Pythons.

While Boa is the scientific classification for several different families of snakes that kill by constricting their prey, Boa constrictors are their own specific species of Boa with various subspecies. In the world of snakes, Boas stand out from the crowd with their size and bulk, but the terminology used for these slithering giants can be somewhat confusing.
