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Boa Constrictor
Ben Potter
Grade 6
Fessenden Public School
Scientific Classification
– Kingdom: Animalia– Phylum: Chordata– Subphylum: Vertebrata– Class: Reptilia– Order: Squamata– Suborder: Serpentes– Family: Boiade– Sub-Family: Boinae– Genus: Boa– Species: B. Constrictor
Appearance
– no legs– colouring varies– arrow-shaped head with distinctive stripes– 3-13 feet long– heavy bodied
– weighing up to 60 lbs.
– females larger than males
Habitat
– Rainforests and semi-desert• Prefers rainforests due to the humidity and
temperature• hollow logs or abandoned mammal burrows
– Mexico, Central America, South America,
Lesser Antilles, Caribbean
Life Cycle– breed in the dry season—between April and August
• males may mate with multiple females• gestation period is approximately 100–120 days
– Live Young• litter size varies between 10 and 65 young with an average
of 25• independent at birth
– Baby• grow rapidly for the first few years• shed regularly (once every one to two months)
– Mature at 3-4 years• Adult size• Can breed• Shed less often (every 2-4 months)
– Life Span: 20-35 years
Diet
– small rodents (rats, mice, birds, bats, lizards)• 4–6 days to fully digest the food
– strikes at the prey, grabs it with its teeth, then constricts the prey until death before consuming it whole
– ambush predators and will lie in wait for prey• known to actively hunt
• may not eat for anywhere from a week to several months
Predators
-humans
-jaguars
-crocodiles
How Boa Constrictors contribute to the diversity of life
-regulates the opossum populations• preventing transmission of leishmaniasis to
humans
-control the rodent populations
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How do Humans impact the Natural Habitat of Boa Constrictors?
-Rainforests being cleared for lumber and human population
What can be done to help Boa Constrictors survive?
– stopping predation from humans for shoes, bags and other items of clothing
– fall under CITES • Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora• ensure that trade does not threaten the species in
the wild
Other Facts
– sense heat via cells in their lips– capable swimmer– often kept as an exotic pet– longest recorded Boa Constrictor measured
5.5 m (18 ft) long– can move in a straight line without curving the
body
References
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa_constrictor• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CITES• http://www.theanimalfiles.com/reptiles/snakes/
boa_constrictor.html• “Discovery Kids Snake” Kevin Fleury. Dutton
Children’s Books New York 2001
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