Boidae Family

Many snakes of five continents are members of the large family of reptiles called Boas. Most frequently however, when people use the term Boa they are referring to medium-large snakes of central and south America. In fact the name 'Boa Constrictor' is applied correctly only to the New World genus Boa. Boa constrictors are one of the most common and wide-ranging of reptile species. They are found from Northern Mexico near the U.S. border southward to Argentina. And exploit habitats as varied as lowland desert and semi-desert scrubland to tropical rainforest and coastal mountain cloud-forest. Boas have also colonized remnant continental and volcanic uplift islands as well as coral Cays or low islands in the Caribbean. Understanding the origins of the various boa groups as well as their morphological and behavioral differences is a very large part of the fun of keeping Boas.

Several subspecies of boas and many locality populations are recognized. Experienced observers of locality-type Boas report not only the unique colors and patterns displayed by the various groups but also more subtle differences as expressed in temperament, and other important behaviors such as feeding and food preference, reproductive cycles and courtship, preferred temperature cline and more. It is plain that the Boas as a group are closely related. It is also plainly true that Boas from different habitats have evolved unique sets of tools for survival and the overt physical differences only hint at how truly unique the different populations of Boas actually are. Observing and understanding these differences will assist you in efforts to keep and breed Boas. It is also our fervent hope that with an improved understanding of the fascinating differences among the Boas you will come to agree with us that preserving these groups in captivity and in nature are important goals. Always try to get captive- born stock and please think twice before you yield to the temptation to intergrade or crossbreed known locality Boas in your care.

Baby boas are among the most desirable of reptile pets and boas can be one of the easiest reptiles to keep. However, the size potential of adult boas should be considered before acquiring one. Size among boas is a factor of genetics and food availability. Some dwarfi-sh forms of boa grow to only about 1.5 meters in length but most all the boas will grow to be 2.2 meters or longer if well fed in captivity. Well cared-for boas regularly live for more than a dozen years, 20 year old boas are not uncommon. Boas can be bred in captivity with the proper attention to temperature gradients and feeding. The temperament of the boas ranges from quite docile to downright ornery. In reality Boas are neither tame nor mean, rather they simply display the inherited traits given them in nature in response to the novel situations they are subjected to in captivity. Genetics and (even more importantly) how well the keeper understands the animal's needs both play a role in how 'tame' your boa will be.

Remember that keeping Boas and other pets is a privilege. Be responsible and give your captives the very best in caging, food and care.

Interesting Facts of Boidae Snakes

• All members of this family are non-venomous
• These are relatively primitive snakes (older than North American species)
• The females usually grow larger than the males
• Most have vestigial limbs (or "spurs") and the remnants of a pelvic girdle
• They kill their prey by constriction

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The Crawl Cay, Belize Boa (Boa constrictor Imperator)

These are another of the insular island varieties of Boa constrictor inhabiting the barrier islands and coral atolls of the Caribbean Sea. Crawl Cay, Belize is one of the northernmost cays in the Turneffe Islands archipelago located east and slightly north of Belize city, a modest boat trip from Caulker Cay, home of yet another insular Boa. There are other islands referred to as Crawl Cay, notably in the Bay of Chiriqui among the archipelago of Bocas del Toro on the northeastern coast of Panama. It is possible boas from Panama or other islands locally called Crawl cay or Key have made their way into herpetoculture, here or elsewhere. This could explain the unusual diversity between some captive colonies of these rare snakes, in the United States and abroad.

Crawl Cay, Belize boas are considered among the smaller Boa localities, usually less than 1.8 meters in length and adults are somewhat stocky, solid-feeling snakes. Neonate Crawl Cay boas are not eye-catching, patterning is indistinct and unremarkable. Tail blotches may be a dull yellow or orange. Mature adult Crawls are more interesting, they have a lower-than-average saddle count (21-23 S-V) for central American constrictor and the pattern is faded and reduced, both dorsally and laterally, revealing a silvery-grey or coppery-pink boa with large scattered jet speckles, prominent eyes and a heavily black-pigmented tail with just a hint of yellow, orange or silver showing through. The way in which the black pigment is distributed inside of and between the scales on Crawl Cay boas may be somewhat unique and identifiable.

Unlike the Caulker Cay boas, of which only a handful were brought to the United Sates, according to knowledgeable sources many Crawl Cay boas were imported, mostly in the 1970's. These boas were brought by tourists, fishermen, divers and university groups, many of who presented the snakes to reptile dealers, perhaps as a way of offsetting their expenses. One such group of snakes was captured and imported to the U.S. by a Texan, Bob Sears, who kept and bred them. Where all the imported Crawl Cay boas eventually went and whether or not they were bred and bred true to the locality is not known. Thankfully, a group of Bob's boas ended up with Tim Meade, who did also breed them in the 1990's. This lineage is all that is left of the (verifiable) boas of Crawl Cay, Belize in culture.

Adult Crawl Cay boas are very good cage and display snakes, typically laying still in classic ambush posture, their unusual colors and markings are surprisingly effective camouflage, but their temperament is not the best. They are easily scared and will frequently stiffen and strike if startled or handled roughly. Baby Crawl cay boas have been known to be reluctant feeders on standard neonate boa fare.

Whether or not these island boas yet survive in numbers on Crawl Cay (Belize) is not known. In any event the entire Turneffe Islands archipelago is now a national reserve of Belize and it is very unlikely any additional Boa of that locale will be brought to herpetoculture. Serious herpetoculturists everywhere should agree to work to safeguard the Crawl Cay line, in nature and in culture.

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Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)

Scientific classification :

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Reptilia

Order : Squamata

Suborder : Serpentes

Family : Boidae

Subfamily : Boinae

Genus : Eunectes

Species : E. murinus

The world's largest snake is the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus). This massive snake can be found throughout the northern part of South America. An adult green anaconda can reach lengths of 25 feet (7.6 meters) and can weigh more than 200 pounds (91 kg). Unless you study reptiles, most of what you know about the green anaconda probably comes from popular culture (movies, stories, legends, etc.). So there's a good chance you've encountered quite a few myths and misconceptions over the years. In this article, I'll try to set the record straight about the world's largest snake, the green anaconda. First thing's first. Just how big does this snake get? That depends on whom you ask. For example, I saw a National Geographic article that claimed the green anaconda can weigh up to 500 pounds (227 kilograms). But no snakes this large have ever been documented, much less donated to a zoo or museum. So we have to take such claims with a grain of salt.

Over the years, there have been several captive specimens (in zoos) longer than 25 feet, or 7.6 meters. But there has never been a documented case of a green anaconda growing beyond 30 feet. For many years, the Wildlife Conservation Society has offered a large cash reward for anyone who can document a specimen longer than 30 feet. Nobody has claimed this prize. But it's not the length that makes it the world's largest snake. It's a combination of length and girth. The reticulated python can grow slightly longer than the anaconda. But in terms of sheer mass and bodyweight, no other snake comes close to the green anaconda. It can weigh well over 200 pounds, with a diameter of more than 15 inches. It is a massive snake when fully grown.

When they are fully grown, these snakes do not have any natural predators. This means they are apex predators. They sit (or slither) at the top of their food chain. 

When most people talk about "the anaconda," they are usually referring to the green anaconda, the world's largest snake. But there are actually two anaconda species in South America. The lesser-known yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) does not get nearly as large as its green cousin. On average, a full-grown yellow anaconda will be 10 - 12 feet long.Another interesting fact about the green anaconda is that it spends much of its life in or near water. There are several reasons for this. First, there is the size factor. If you were as large as the world's largest snake, you would probably spend a lot of time in water too. Swimming in water is much easier than crawling on land, as far as gravity is concerned. The anaconda also preys on animals that can be found in or near the water. It will readily eat fish, caiman and other animals that dwell in the water. And it will also ambush animals that come in for a drink, such as deer and tapir. They reach their monumental size on a diet of wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles, capybara, caimans, and even jaguars. Anacondas are nonvenomous constrictors, coiling their muscular bodies around captured prey and squeezing until the animal asphyxiates. Jaws attached by stretchy ligaments allow them to swallow their prey whole, no matter the size, and they can go weeks or months without food after a big meal.

During the mating season, several males will often compete for the same female. They will tangle up into a "breeding ball," sometimes staying like that for weeks. A female may give birth to 50 or more baby snakes.

Anacondas have been portrayed in horror literature and film, often with the ability to swallow adult humans; these traits are occasionally also attributed to other species, such as the Burmese python and the boa constrictor. Among the most popular films that feature it are the 1997 film, Anaconda, along with its three sequels Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Anaconda 3: Offspring and Anacondas: Trail of Blood. This species is also the main antagonist in Mathias Bradley's novel, Anacondas: The Terror of the Amazon Rainforest, in which multiple hybrid anacondas escape from a research facility in the Amazon Rainforest and come into contact with a toxic chemical that causes them to rapidly mutate into gigantic snakes. A more positive depiction of the anaconda exists in the short stories "Anaconda" and "El Regreso de Anaconda" ("The Return of Anaconda") by Horacio Quiroga, which are told from the anaconda's point of view.

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Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)

Scientific classification : 

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Subphylum : Vertebrata

Class : Reptilia

Order : Squamata

Suborder : Serpentes

Family : Boidae

Subfamily : Boinae

Genus : Boa

Species : B. constrictor

Boa constrictors wear some of the most distinctive markings of all reptiles. Depending on the habitat they are trying to blend into, their bodies can be tan, green, red, or yellow, and display cryptic patterns of jagged lines, ovals, diamonds, and circles.

Boas are nonpoisonous constrictors found in tropical Central and South America. Like their anaconda cousins, they are excellent swimmers, but prefer to stay on dry land, living primarily in hollow logs and abandoned mammal burrows.

Significantly smaller than anacondas, boas can grow up to 13 feet (4 meters) long and weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms). Their jaws are lined with small, hooked teeth for grabbing and holding prey while they wrap their muscular bodies around their victim, squeezing until it suffocates. Boas will eat almost anything they can catch, including birds, monkeys, and wild pigs. Their jaws can stretch wide to swallow large prey whole.

Female boas incubate eggs inside their bodies and give birth up to 60 live babies. Boas are about 2 feet (0.6 meters) long when they are born and grow continually throughout their 25 to 30-year lifespan. The largest boa constrictor ever found measured 18 feet (5.5 meters).

Hunted for their fine, ornate skin and for sale in the exotic pet trade, some boa constrictors are endangered and most have protected status in their range.

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