Boa Constrictor

It is crepuscular to nocturnal in behavior. The boa spends its day in the burrow of a rodent or in a hollow tree, although it is a good swimmer. When it grips a prey, it can exert a force of up to 32 kN on it. The boa follows its prey through smell when it does not set an ambush. According to an American study published in July 2015 in The Journal of Experimental Biology, and contrary to popular belief, the boa constrictor does not suffocate its victims; it merely, through the constriction of its coils, causes the death of its prey by a circulatory arrest, cutting off the blood supply to vital organs, depriving it of oxygen, a method that seems much more effective than suffocating its victim, which can still struggle during the suffocation process.

Its size varies according to subspecies and sex and is between 1.50 m and 4.20 m (but rarely exceeds 3.50 m) for an average weight of 6 to 16 kg (the largest specimens can weigh up to nearly 30 kg). The back of this snake has dark spots.

This species is found in most of South America, from Colombia to northern Argentina. It frequents very varied habitats, such as tropical forests, humid or dry savannas and semi-arid zones.

Boas are carnivorous, they feed on small animals: rodents, bats, birds, large lizards. Larger and older specimens can occasionally attack larger mammals such as the ocelot.