Boa constrictor - Boa constrictor

[Ceratodromeus]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Boidae
Genus: Boa
Species: Boa constrictor

Recognized subspecies
The boa constrictor (Boa constrictor), also called red-tailed boa, is a species of large, heavy-bodied snake. It is a member of the family Boidae found in North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Nine{1} subspecies are currently recognized, although some of these are controversial.

• Red tailed boa - B.c.constrictor
• Common boa - B.c.imperator
• St.Lucia boa - B.c.orophias
• Argentine boa constrictor - B.c.occidentalis
• Pearl islands boa - B.c.sabogae
• Clouded boa - B.c.nebulosus
• Bolivian boa - B.c.armarali
• Peruvian boa - B.c.ortonii
• Long tailed boa - B.c.longicauda

Biology
The boa constrictor is a large snake, although it is only modestly sized in comparison to other large snakes, such as the reticulated python and Burmese python, and can reach lengths from 3–13 ft (0.91–3.96 m) depending on the locality and the availability of suitable prey.Clear sexual dimorphism is seen in the species, with females generally being larger in both length and girth than males. As such, the usual size of mature female boas is between 7 and 10 ft (2.1 and 3.0 m), and 6 and 8 ft (1.8 and 2.4 m) for the males. 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. A report of a boa constrictor growing up to 18.5 ft (5.6 m) was later found to be a misidentified green anaconda.



The size and weight of a boa constrictor depends on subspecies, locale, and the availability of suitable prey. Several populations of boa constrictors are known as "dwarf boas", such as the population of B. c. imperator on Hog Island. These smaller subspecies are generally insular populations. B. c. constrictor reaches, and occasionally tops, the averages given above, as it is one of the relatively large subspecies of Boa constrictor.

Prey includes a wide variety of small to medium-sized mammals and birds. The bulk of their diet consists of rodents, but larger lizards and mammals as big as ocelots are also reported to have been consumed. Young boa constrictors eat small mice, birds, bats, lizards, and amphibians. The size of the prey item increases as they get older and larger.



Boa constrictors are ambush predators, so often lie in wait for an appropriate prey to come along, when they attack. However, they have also been known to actively hunt, particularly in regions with a low concentration of suitable prey, and this behaviour generally occurs at night. The boa first strikes at the prey, grabbing it with its teeth; it then proceeds to constrict the prey until death before consuming it whole. Unconsciousness and death likely result from shutting off vital blood flow to the heart and brain, rather than suffocation as was previously believed; constriction can interfere with blood flow and overwhelm the prey's usual blood pressure and circulation.[16] This would lead to unconsciousness and death very quickly.[16] Their teeth also help force the animal down the throat while muscles then move it toward the stomach. It takes the snake about 4–6 days to fully digest the food, depending on the size of the prey and the local temperature. After this, the snake may not eat for a week to several months, due to its slow metabolism

Geographic distribution & habitat
Depending on subspecies, Boa constrictor can be found through Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) to South America north of 35°S (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Argentina), and in the Lesser Antilles (Dominica and St. Lucia), on San Andrés, Providencia and many other islands along the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America. An introduced populations exists in extreme southern Florida, and a small population on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands now appears to be reproducing in the wild.[citation needed] The type locality given is "Indiis" – a mistake, according to Peters and Orejas-Miranda (1970).



B. constrictor flourishes in a wide variety of environmental conditions, from tropical rainforests to arid semidesert country. However, it prefers to live in rainforest due to the humidity and temperature, natural cover from predators, and vast amount of potential prey. It is commonly found in or along rivers and streams, as it is a very capable swimmer. Boa constrictors also occupy the burrows of medium-sized mammals, where they can hide from potential predators.

Reproduction
Boa constrictors are ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young. They generally breed in the dry season—between April and August—and are polygynous, thus males may mate with multiple females. Half of all females breed in a given year, and a larger percentage of males actively attempt to locate a mate.Due to their polygynous nature, many of these males will be unsuccessful. As such, female boas in inadequate physical condition are unlikely to attempt to mate, or to produce viable young if they do mate. Reproduction in boas is almost exclusively sexual. Males ordinarily have a ZZ pair of sex determining chromosomes, and females a ZW pair. In 2010, a boa constrictor was shown to have reproduced asexually via parthenogenesis. The Colombian Rainbow boa, Epicrates maurus was found to reproduce by facultative parthenogenesis resulting in production of WW female progeny. The WW females were likely produced by terminal automixis (see Figure), a type of parthenogenesis in which two terminal haploid products of meiosis fuse to form a zygote, which then develops into a daughter progeny. This is only the third genetically confirmed case of consecutive virgin births of viable offspring from a single female within any vertebrate lineage.



During the breeding season, the female boa emits a scent from her cloaca to attract males, which may then wrestle for the right to breed with her. During breeding, the male curls his tail around the female's and the hemipenes (or, male reproductive organs) are inserted. Copulation can last from a few minutes to several hours, and may occur several times over a few-week period. After this period, ovulation may not occur immediately, but the female can hold the sperm inside her for up to one year. When the female ovulates, a midbody swell can be noticed that appears similar to the snake having eaten a large meal. The female then sheds two to three weeks after ovulation, in what is known as a postovulation shed which lasts another 2–3 weeks, which is longer than a normal shed. The gestation period, which is counted from the postovulation shed, is around 100–120 days. The female then gives birth to young that average 15–20 in (38–51 cm) in length. The litter size varies between females, but can be between 10 and 65 young, with an average of 25, although some of the young may be stillborn or unfertilized eggs known as "slugs". The young are independent at birth and grow rapidly for the first few years, shedding regularly (once every one to two months). At 3–4 years, boa constrictors become sexually mature and reach the adult size of 6–10 feet (1.8–3.0 m), although they continue to grow at a slow rate for the rest of their lives. At this point, they shed less frequently, about every 2–4 months.

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Reference for subspecies
{1}Reed, Robert N., and Gordon H. Rodda. Giant constrictors: biological and management profiles and an establishment risk assessment for nine large species of pythons, anacondas, and the boa constrictor. No. 2009-1202. US Geological Survey, 2009.

Original webpage
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa_constrictor

[Ceratodromeus]

Death of a boa constrictor after ingestion of a tree porcupine Cherubini et. Al (2003)

On a global basis, snake diets include a wide range of different preys. All snakes are carnivorous, but beyond that, their diets run the gamut from meringue-like tropical frog eggs to porcupines. Boa spp. forages for food at night. Young small specimens are good climbers and search for prey in trees; older and larger specimens usually forage only at ground level, often lying among leaves on the forest floor, camouflaged by their pattern, waiting for the prey to wander by. Amaral reported that Boa constrictor feeds on various sorts of animals, giving preference to rodents. For Gomes et al., these snakes feed mainly on little birds and little mammals.

Boa constrictor ranges from the coastal northern Mexico southwards through Central America to northern Argentina. It lives in a wide variety of habitats, including tropical rain forests and evergreen or deciduous jungles, brushy and grassy savannas, rocky semi-deserts, and cultivated plantations and fields. In Brazil there are two subspecies of Boa constrictor: B. c. constrictor, found in the Amazon valley to the northeastern and eastern regions, and B. c. amarali, in the states of Mato Grosso and Goiás and to the south.

Data on snake feeding is important in understanding prey-predator relations. The objective of this paper is to report the death of a Boa constrictor amarali after ingestion of a tree porcupine. This snake was captured in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, and donated to the Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals of São Paulo State University (CEVAP/UNESP). It was maintained in a semi-extensive breeding and died two months later. In this period, this snake did not accept the food. A necropsy was performed to investigate the causa mortis.
We suggest that death was caused by the lesions from the spines in organs such as the esophagus, lungs, and stomach when ingesting a tree porcupine. In addition, these lesions caused secondary infection in these organs and probably sepsis.

Tree porcupines (Ordem Rodentia) are named “ouriços” or “porcos-espinhos”. In Brazil there are seven species; six belong to the family Erethizontidae (Coendou bicolor, C. koopmani, C. prehensilis, Sphiggurus insidiosus, S. spinosus, and S. villosus) and one to the family Echimyidae (Chaetomys subspinosus). They live mainly in multistratal tropical evergreen forest; they sometimes can be found in dry deciduous forest in the vicinity of streams. They are nocturnal and rest in trees during the day, often not sheltering in cavities but remaining inconspicuous in a tree crown. Boa spp. forages for food at night and search for prey in trees. These habits of Boa spp. and of the tree porcupines suggest that their encounters are common.

The feeding habits and prey capture behavior of snakes are related to genetic and learning factors. Young inexperienced snakes attempt to take exceedingly large preys more frequently than adult snakes and this behavior may involve time and energy waste, as well as increase the risk of death. So, it is possible that the ingestion of tree porcupine may have been be related to the inexperience of this Boa constrictor amarali in selecting its prey. This inexperience was responsible for its death.

[Ceratodromeus]

"A failed swallowing attempt upon a Crab-Eating Fox
(Cerdocyon thous Hamilton-Smith, 1839) by the Argentine Boa
Constrictor (Boa constrictor occidentalis [Philippi, 1873]) "
"The Argentine Boa Constrictor is the southernmost
subspecies of the Boa constrictor complex, inhabiting
the semiarid plains of the Great Chaco region from
Paraguay to central Argentina, and presumably, Bolivia
(Di Cola et al., 2008; Waller et al., 2010). The confirmed
diet of this ambush predator comprises small to medium
sized mammals and birds (Sironi et al., 2000; Laspiur
et al., 2010).
During a recent field trip to Northern Argentina, we
were able to record a failed intake attempt by B. c.
occidentalis upon a Cerdocyon thous (Crab-Eating Fox;
Carnivora, Canidae). The observation site is located
in the Dry Chaco eco-region, near Palma Chueca,
La Union, Rivadavia Department, Salta Province,
Argentina (24.06639° S, 63.29889° W, datum: WGS84;
220 m elev.), and corresponds to a Ruprechtia triflora
(Polygonaceae) and Ceiba choratii (Bombacaceae)
dominated shrubland that runs over an elevated dry
levee among interconnected temporary ponds and
creeks, tributaries of the Bermejito River.
On the 10th of April, 2011, at ca. 12:00 h, we heard the
distress howls of a fox coming from the near shrublands.
After a short walk, an adult B. c. occidentalis (total length
ca. 2.5 m) was found just in the process of constricting
an adult C. thous. Upon arrival the fox was still alive but
no longer howling. The boa remained wrapped around
its prey for at least 20 minutes when it finally raised the
head and the team decided to leave the area to avoid
disturbing the swallowing process (Figure 1). Returning
to the site at ca. 1500 h showed that the snake had
abandoned the dead fox that rested completely stretched
on the forest floor (Figure 2). The fox exhibited the hair
of the head and neck wet and smoothed up to the level
of the clavicles, as an evidence of a failed swallowing
attempt. The female snake was found at one-meter
distance resting coiled among the multiple trunks of a
Rupechtia triflora shrub with its mouth partially opened
as a sign of the intake attempt.
Sironi et al. (2000) confirmed seven different
mammals as part of the diet of this subspecies. Although
they found no traces of any carnivore in gastrointestinal
contents studied, they mentioned the related fox species
Lycolapex gymnocercus as a probable prey, based
on interviews to local inhabitants. The finding here
reported actually confirms that B. c. occidentalis is able
to prey on medium-sized carnivores. At the other hand,
this case presents the paradoxical situation in which the
boa was strong enough to subdue its prey but exhibited
a morphological constraint to swallow it.
Most species of snake show ontogenetic shift in its
diet: the larger the snake, the larger the individual prey
that can be manipulated and swallowed (Mushinsky,
1987). For gape-limited predators the ability to ingest
larger preys is of high adaptive value, and likely to
influence the encounter rate of potential prey items
and therefore presumably foraging success and fitness
(Forsman and Lindell, 1993). Sironi et al. (2000)
identified as the single main ontogenetic shift in the
diet of large B. c. occidentalis from central Argentina
the inclusion of the Vizcacha (Lagostomus maximus,
Rodentia, Chinchillidae), mainly by large vitellogenic
females. This big sized rodent (5 kg of average weight;
Redford and Eisenberg, 1992) aggregates in communal
dens also occupied by boas during the local winter.
Waller et al. (in prep.) found that boas from Northern
Argentina undergoing secondary vitellogenesis
exhibited massive heads compared to same sized nonreproductive
specimens, a temporary functional change
that may be related to the seasonal consumption of
L. maximus. Accordingly, reproductive success and population structure in some boa populations might be
highly influenced by their ability to subdue and ingest
this large prey.
Many models of optimal foraging predict that a greater
range of prey types should be taken when the overall
food abundance is lower (Arnold, 1993). Since Vizcacha
populations exhibit natural up and down abundance
cycles, B. c. occidentalis populations are also expected
to rely on the opportunistic capture of other large preys
in order to reach the necessary body condition threshold
for reproduction. Because the size of available prey items
does not behave as a continuous variable, ontogenetic
shift in diet is not expected to be gradual, but a leap
from one prey size category to another. Moreover,
snakes rarely ingest prey of the size that would be
limited by its own morphology (Mushinsky, 1987);
hard-to-eat items are unprofitable because ingestion
is likely to be unsuccessful or costly (Arnold, 1993).
“Knowing” when prey exceeds the size limit that can
be handled successfully is, therefore, of high survival
value (Mushinsky, 1987). The finding documented
here may reflect a “sizing” failure when attempting
to change to an upper category of prey. Although the
snake was not weighted, its length and excellent body
condition correspond roughly to a specimen of ca. 9 kg
(Waller, unpubl. data). On the other hand, a Crab-Eating
fox, as documented in this case, could weight ca. 6 kg
(Redford and Eisenberg, 1992), somewhat heavier than
an average Vizcacha, and a disproportionately large
mouthful bite for this boa...."

www.herpetologynotes.seh-herpetology.org/Volume4_PDFs/Almiron_et_al_Herpetology_Notes_Volume4_pages359-362.pdf

[Ceratodromeus]

Here's something neat I just found

[Ceratodromeus]

Snakes preying on bats: new records from Brazil and a review of recorded cases in the Neotropical Region
Abstract
Predation on bats by snakes is relatively infrequently reported in the literature, though it may actually not be an uncommon phenomenon, since bat colonies represent a potential concentration of food for many medium-sized or large snakes. Herein we describe four events of bat predation by snakes and present a review of predation records of snakes on bats in the Neotropics compiled from the literature. A total of 20 species of snakes have been recorded so far as predators of bats in the New World tropics, with boiids being represented by the greatest number of cases. Due to the semi-arboreal habits of most of its species, their large size and their usual preference for mammalian prey, the Boiidae are probably the main reptilian predators of bats in the Neotropics, though predation by colubrids may also be relatively frequent. Two types of predatory events can be pointed out: (1) on active bats outside refuges or exiting them, and (2) on animals (active or inactive) inside refuges. The former strategy is apparently used mainly by boiids, whereas the latter strategy appears to be the one most used by large colubrids.

From here

[Ceratodromeus]

Fatal attack on black-tufted-ear marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) by a Boa constrictor: a simultaneous assault on two juvenile monkeys
Abstract Here we report the first witnessed attack on a
marmoset by a constrictor snake. The incident occurred
mid-morning in a gallery forest within an altered landscape
of the Cerrado region of central Brazil and refers to a fatal
attack by a Boa constrictor on two juvenile black-tuftedear
marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) simultaneously. The
snake captured both individuals at a height of *4 m while
a group of eight marmosets traveled through the subcanopy.
The actual strike was not seen. After 2 min, the
boa fell to the ground with both marmosets in its coils and
proceeded to kill one animal at a time through constriction.
Two adult marmosets immediately descended to where the
snake held its victims on the ground and attacked it. The
snake showed no apparent reaction, and after *1–2 min,
the adults rejoined the remaining group members that were
mobbing and vocalizing from 5 to 6 m above. The group
left the scene *7 min after the onset of the attack and was
not seen again. The snake loosened its coils 10 min after its
initial strike, left the two carcasses on the ground and
stayed behind a nearby tree. Thus, we are not sure if the
victims were in fact ingested. This report confirms that
marmosets are vulnerable to boid snakes and capable of
highly organized and cooperative antipredation behavior. It
also suggests that snakes pose a greater threat to callitrichids
than previously thought.

"On 3 October 2014 at 10:30 a.m., the first author (DST) saw a
group of marmosets moving along tree branches at *5 m
above the ground. They were traveling north to south and
from the edge to the center of the gallery forest. A few
seconds later, a fast short series of distress vocalizations were
heard coming from a location 4 m high in the forest subcanopy
and 5 m ahead from where DST was standing. The
animal (or animals) involved could not be seen, as the vegetation
was denser at that location than the surrounding area.
The calls attracted the attention of the remaining marmoset
group members (and the observers). The marmosets rapidly
approached the immediate vicinity of the event but did not
enter the dense vegetation from where the cries originated.
They emitted rapid series of tsik–tsik calls and moved about
excitedly at different heights in the subcanopy. At this point
we were able to identify two adult males, two adult females,
and two subadults.
At 10:32 a.m., a Boa constrictor amarali (Greene 1983)
fell to the ground with two marmosets in its grasp: one had
a full loop around its upper body and one had a full loop
around its legs. Until then we had not seen the snake, thus
the actual strike was not witnessed. The boa was estimated
to be 2-m long and have a girth of 6 cm. A few moments
later, two adult marmosets came down from the subcanopy.
One jumped on the snake and struck it once or twice with
its hands and then immediately fled to a nearby
tree \30 cm away, from where it kept emitting tsik–tsik
calls. During the next 20–30 s, the same individual repeated
this response pattern on two more occasions. On the
other hand, the second adult marmoset generally maintained
a 30-cm distance from the snake. However, when
the first adult launched its third and last attack, this second
marmoset also jumped on the snake but did not strike it.
After a few seconds, both individuals fled together to a
tree \30 cm away from the snake. From this location
(*20 cm from the ground), both adults vocalized intensely
for *30 s. The marmosets were always seen to jump and/
or attack the same middle portion of the snake’s body. Due
to the coils around the two victims, this was its most
exposed area. During this period (*1 min), a third adult
stayed 1 m from the ground on a nearby tree, while the
fourth adult and the two subadults remained higher up in
the subcanopy (4–5 m). At this point, we were unable to
determine the gender of each individual. However, all
marmosets called intensely in the direction of the predator–
prey interaction.
Approximately 30 s later, the two adult marmosets that
had remained closest to the snake ran back up to the subcanopy
together with the other adult that had stayed higher
up on a nearby tree. They rejoined the remaining group
members, from where they all continued to vocalize from a
height of 5–6 m. After 2–3 min their tsik–tsik calls had
notably decreased in frequency and intensity. Soon after
(10:37 a.m.), the group moved away from the scene,
traveling south along tree branches and at a height of
5–6 m. They were not seen again for the remainder of the
incident.
Throughout the attack/mobbing response, the snake
showed no apparent reaction to the marmosets. Instead, it
looped a second time around the body of the victim closest to
its head and then tightened the coils, at the same time keeping
a firm hold around the legs of the second victim. Both marmosets
whimpered and struggled to free themselves of the
snake’s coils. At around 10:36 a.m. (i.e., prior to the groups’
departure), the snake undid a loop and released some of the
pressure on the first marmoset that, at this point, no longer
struggled or vocalized. It then looped a second time around
the other animal and proceeded to tighten its coils on this
victim. Only the marmoset’s tail remained visible, and it
gradually stopped moving from side to side after *30 s.
Therefore, the group left the scene of the event *7 min after
the snake’s initial attack and only *1–2 min after the victims
had stopped struggling and vocalizing.
The boa slowly loosened all of its coils at 10:40 a.m.,
released the two marmosets, and moved away to a tree
located 1 m from the carcasses (Fig. 1). These were photographed
where they lay and, based on their estimated size
and characteristics, both were 5–7 months old (juveniles).
We were unable to determine the gender of each individual.
After an additional 5 min, we left the scene, leaving
the two marmosets where they lay. When we left, the snake
was still near the same tree."

Link to observation

very interesting..

[Ceratodromeus]

This study found the invasive boas of Aruba to be B.c.constrictor, pretty neat read!

Genetic Characterization of an Invasive Boa constrictor Population on the Caribbean Island of Aruba

Abstract
Boa constrictor was first documented on the Caribbean island of Aruba in 1999. Despite intensive efforts to eradicate the snake
from the island, B. constrictor has established a stable, reproductively successful population on Aruba. We generated mitochondrial sequence
and multilocus microsatellite data for individuals from this population to characterize the origins and means of introduction to the island.
Phylogenetic analyses and measures of genetic diversity for this population were compared with those for invasive B. constrictor imperator
from Cozumel and B. constrictor constrictor from Puerto Rico. Cozumel populations of B. c. imperator had significantly higher numbers of
alleles and significantly higher values for FIS than the Puerto Rico and Aruba populations. Observed, expected, and Nei’s unbiased
heterozygosities, as well as effective number of alleles, were not significantly different. The effective population sizes from Aruba and Puerto
Rico were generally lower than those for either of the Cozumel populations; however, there were broad confidence intervals associated with
published estimates. We conclude that the present B. constrictor population on Aruba most likely resulted from the release or escape of a small
number of unrelated captive snakes originating from South America (B. c. constrictor) and are phylogenetically distinct from introduced boas
on Puerto Rico and Cozumel. This study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting the ease with which a small number of relatively
slow-maturing B. constrictor can quickly invade, become established, and avoid eradication efforts in a new location with suitable habitat.



www.rgrahamreynolds.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Bushar-et-al.-2015.pdf

[Ceratodromeus]

Prickly food: snakes preying upon porcupines
"Large snakes, like Python molurus, P. sebae
and P. reticulatus, are able to prey on horned
mammals with potential to cause serious injuries
when swallowed. Those preys include small
to medium-sized bovids such as Kobus kob (Hay
and Martin 1966), Aepyceros melampus (Gasc
1994), Axis porcinus, Gazella thomsoni,
Muntiacus muntjac (Greene 1997), and
antelopes (Spawls and Branch 1995).
Porcupines are other type of potentially harmful
prey due to their pointed quills, which may cause
serious injuries when swallowed by snakes.
Domestic and wild animals may be fatally
injured or become unable to feed due to quill
punctures after an encounter with a porcupine
(Nowak 1991).

This paper deals with porcupines as snake
prey and is based both on published and original
data. Original data was obtained upon snak
specimens arrival at the Laboratório de
Herpetologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo,
southeastern Brazil, by sporadic suppliers, as
well as on specimens collected during fieldwork.
Because quills are keratinous and sharp, they
remain undigested and are easily detectable in
the gut (sometimes they pierce the snake’s
body). Additional evidence of porcupine-eating
snakes (e.g., quills in feces) comes from
occasional observations of captive snakes.
Predation on porcupines has been recorded
for species in Boidae, Pythonidae, Colubridae,
Elapidae, and Viperidae. Data presented herein
include preying attempts and actual predation,
as well as potential defensive strikes on
porcupines (Table 1).
Boidae and Viperidae were the two families
with most records for this encounter type, and
Boa constrictor was the species most frequently
recorded (Table 1). In one instance, the
porcupine quills pierced the stomach and body
walls of the Boa constrictor amarali (Cherubini
et al. 2003). Snakes recorded meeting
porcupines are diurnal, crepuscular/nocturnal, or
both, but only in Spilotes pullatus mexicanus
(Köhler and Seipp 1999) the time of behavioral
context was recorded.
Snake species in the Boidae, Pythonidae,
Colubridae, Viperidae, and Elapidae
occasionally meet and even prey on porcupines
in Africa, America, and Asia. Boids and viperids
are the two families with most records for these
encounters. Although a defensive strike should
be considered in two cases (Bothrops jararaca
and Crotalus durissus, Figure 1), attempts or
successful predation on porcupines is recorded
for one African viperid (Bitis gabonica).
However, it should be noted that this latter viper
is much more robust and has a much more wide
gap than the two neotropical species.
There is no apparent relation between
porcupines’ activity period or preferred habitat
(Nowak 1991) and the encounters with, or
predation by the snakes. Avoidance of specific
prey types is common among predators and
drives the evolution of mimicry systems and
aposematic signals in the prey (Brodie III and
Brodie Jr. 1999). Even if the presence of spines
and other mechanical defenses may serve as a
warning display to visual predators (Endler
1986), this may not work for some snakes,
which are mostly thermal or chemosensory
guided predators (Ford and Burghardt 1993).
The consequences for a snake swallowing a prey
armed with quills may be hazardous or even
mortal. However, chemical, visual, and tactile
stimuli apparently do not preclude predation on
porcupines by Boa constrictor (Tschambers
1949, Cherubini et al. 2003, this paper), Python
reticulatus (Shine et al. 1998) and Spilotes
pullatus mexicanus (Köhler and Seipp 1999).
Notwithstanding the snakes’ sensorial tactics
and some degree of diet versatility (Greene
1997), I suggest that porcupines are not rejected
by these predators as a potentially hazardous
prey, and may even be recognized as an
“ordinary”, large rodent. Porcupines are
possibly ambushed by the snakes and thus are
unable to display or enhance their warning
signals to avoid predation."



www.revistas.usp.br/phyllo/article/download/42610/46279

[Ceratodromeus]

Here is a dietary sample(containing 273 individuals) from an invasive population in the dutch west indies.

[Ceratodromeus]

Young boa eats an ameiva ~76% of its body weight:
"Ameiva ameiva
is one of the most widely distributed Neotropical lizards, occurring
from the Caribbean Islands and Costa Rica to southern Brazil,
northern Argentina, and the eastern Andes in South America
(Vitt and Colli 1994. Can. J. Zool. 72:1986–2008). Despite its
broad distribution, few data exist on the predators of A. ameiva
(Martins and Oliveira 1998. Herpetol. Nat. Hist. 6:78–150; Pinho
2010. Herpetol. Rev. 41:72–72; Laurindo 2010. Herpetol. Ver.
41:237–238). Here we report an observation of predation on A.
ameiva by a Boa constrictor.
At 1018 h on 22 Marçh 2015 at Sítio Pedra Preta, located in the
municipality of Farias Brito (6.465508°S, 39.312460°W, WGS 84;
elev. 315 m), Ceará state, Brazil, we observed a juvenile male Boa
constrictor (SVL = 535.04 mm, TL = 59.91 mm, mass = 84 g) in a
bush near the ground, preying on an adult male A. ameiva (SVL=
130.01 mm, TL= 223.72 mm, mass = 64 g). The snake attacked
the lizard with a lateral bite to the neck, immediately constricting
its coils around the lizard’s body. The lizard used its clawed hind
limbs in an attempt to free itself but was unsuccessful. The predation
event lasted about 11 minutes until the lizard died and the
snake began ingestion headfirst, a process that took 8 minutes.
The snake was collected, euthanized, and the stomach dissected.
Both the snake and the lizard were fixed with 10% formalin,
preserved in 70% alcohol, and deposited at the Coleção Herpetológica
da Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA-H 10646,
10945, respectively).
Boa constrictor is a large-bodied dietary generalist that
consumes a wide taxonomic diversity of prey including invertebrates,
fish, lizards, birds, and mammals (Quick et al. 2005.
J. Herpetol. 39:304–307). Despite this variety, to the best of our
knowledge there are no records of B. constrictor predation on A.
ameiva."

www.zenscientist.com/index.php/pdflibrary2/func-finishdown/2567/

[Ceratodromeus]

Interesting article on the interactions of white nosed coatis with boa constrictors

[Ceratodromeus]

Boa constrictor predation on possum, documented in the latest edition of the Herpetological review:
"At 0830 h on 14 January, 2016, FQ, a park ranger, responded to
a call from residents who reported the presence of a B. constrictor
ca. 250 cm in total length, in a grassy area next to residences near
the boundary of Serra da Tiririca State Park – PEST (22.951227°S,
43.024327°W, SAD 69; 26 m elev.), Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. When
FQ arrived at the scene, he noted that there was an opossum under
the snake (Fig. 1). After a few minutes, he saw the snake with the
opossum’s head in its mouth. During the event, the opossum tried
to escape, but it was eventually subdued and consumed, over the
course of approximately 15 min. Didelphis aurita is an omnivorous
marsupial, nocturnal and solitary, common in the Atlantic
Forest. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first record of predation
on D. aurita by Boa constrictor

[Ceratodromeus]

Argentine boa constrictor eats what looks to be a red tegu


"A deadly boa constrictor was filmed killing an iguana for its lunch before proceeding to devour it.

The dramatic video shows the snake fastening its jaws around the iguana's head.

The battle between the two creatures was captured on camera near the city of Bandera, northern Argentina.



he footage was filmed by a local resident and posted on social media.

In the video, a man can be heard saying in the background: 'The only thing we have to say is bon appetit.'

The black and white boa constrictor can be seen preparing for its huge meal by opening its mouth as wide as it can to fit the large reptile's head in it."

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4159896/Deadly-boa-constrictor-kills-iguana-lunch.html#ixzz4Y22OjLxg

[Ceratodromeus]

Evidence for viable, non-clonal but fatherless Boa constrictors
Abstract

"Parthenogenesis in vertebrates is considered an evolutionary novelty. In snakes, all of which exhibit genetic sex determination with ZZ : ZW sex chromosomes, this rare form of asexual reproduction has failed to yield viable female WW offspring. Only through complex experimental manipulations have WW females been produced, and only in fish and amphibians. Through microsatellite DNA fingerprinting, we provide the first evidence of facultative parthenogenesis in a Boa constrictor, identifying multiple, viable, non-experimentally induced females for the first time in any vertebrate lineage. Although the elevated homozygosity of the offspring in relation to the mother suggests that the mechanism responsible may be terminal fusion automixis, no males were produced, potentially indicating maternal sex chromosome hemizygosity (WO). These findings provide the first evidence of parthenogenesis in the family Boidae (Boas), and suggest that WW females may be more common within basal reptilian lineages than previously assumed."
m.rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org//content/7/2/253.short
^The PDF file is free to download from the link, for those of you who are interested!

[Ceratodromeus]

Snakes on a boat! Norwegian customs officials find boa constrictor on ferry arriving from Denmark

"Norwegian customs officers on Sunday night found a snake in a car on a ferry that had just arrived from Denmark.
The boa constrictor was discovered in a clothing bag during a routine inspection at the port of Kristiansand.
The three young men in the car all hailed from Rogaland, a province in southwestern Norway, according to the Norwegian newspaper Agderposten.
Although a 21-year-old admitted he had purchased the boa constrictor legally in Denmark, it is illegal to bring them into Norway.

“The customs officers who examined the car had no great desire to pick up the snake and measure it,” customs chief Helge Breilid told Agderposten.
All animals illegally imported into Norway tend to be euthanised. It will be left up to the Norwegian Food Administration to determine the snake’s fate."

cphpost.dk/general/snakes-on-a-boat-norwegian-customs-officials-find-boa-constrictor-on-ferry-arriving-from-denmark.html