Boa Constrictor

Boa constrictor

There are many Boas, and many snakes that are of the constricting variety, but today's animal is the Boa Constrictor. In fact, it is one of those rare living animals that have the exact same English-language common name as their scientific name. Yes, its official name is Boa constrictor!

These snakes are found in Central and South America, where they live in a variety of different habitats. While rainforests are the preferred hang-out spot, they can also be found in more open, semi-arid locations as well.

Boa Constrictors are large snakes, able to grow 13ft in length and weigh upwards of 60lbs! Their coloration varies by location, and there are several different subspecies that can be identified by their shades and patterns.

In general, Boa Constrictors are solitary-- only meeting up to mate. Fertilization happens internally and the females give birth to live young.

Did you know that one of the Boa Constrictor's favorite meals is Bat? They will snap the flying mammals right out of the air and kill them with constriction. Other common prey? Rodents, lizards, birds, and opossums. They locate their meals using heat pits in their heads, and can swallow animals much larger than their heads by unhinging their jaws.

Some subspecies and local Boa Constrictor populations are threatened. They are hunted for their skins and meat, and are taken for the exotic pet industry.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : South and Central America
Size : Length up to 13ft (4m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Boidae -- Genus : Boa-- Species : B. constrictor
Image :  Belizian

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Inland Taipan

Oxyuranus microlepidotus

Meet the most venomous snake on the planet-- the Inland Taipan. This 6ft long Australian Snake has enough venom in its bite to kill 100 men!

Thankfully, very few bites on humans have ever occurred, as this snake lives in the dry interior of the Australian continent. Amazingly, the human death count is zero! The anti-venom for these bites has been very successful.

Rodents and other small mammals make up the Inland Taipan's diet. The snake waits silently for prey to come near, and then strikes very, very quickly, injecting the venom deep into the unlucky critter.

Inland Taipans are also interesting because they change color with the seasons. During the summer they are pale, but in the winter they are dark. The darker color helps them to absorb more heat during chillier months.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Australia
Size : Length up to 6ft (1.8m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Elapidae -- Genus : Oxyuranus -- Species : O. microlepidotus
Image : Bjoertvedt

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Madagascar Tree Boa

Sanzinia madagascarensis

Madagascar Tree Boas are snakes that are endemic to the African island that gives them their name. They actually come in two different color variations, based on their location. In the east, the snakes are grey and green, while in the western parts they are yellow and brown. Two colors, but the same species!

Though the word "tree" also appears in their common name, these snakes are only arboreal while they are hunting. They do so at night, seeking out prey int he pitch black thanks to hit sensitives pits in their mouths. Once they find and capture their prey, they constrict it with their powerful body muscles, leading to a restricted blood flow, heart failure, then death.

All Boas are constrictors, and are non venomous. Another trait that this Snake shares with it's family members? It gives birth to live young. After a six month pregnancy the female snakes give birth to around a dozen foot-long offspring.

Currently the Madagascar Tree Boas are listed as being of Least Concern, but habitat loss has been drastically reducing their historical habitat range. A great deal of their current range is now protected, and they are also being bred in captivity.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Madagascar
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Boidae -- Genus : Sanzinia-- Species : S. madagascariensis

Image : Axel Strauss

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Round Island Boa

Casarea dussumieri

The Round Island Boa, found on the islands of Mauritius, is now the only living member of its entire family, and is one of the rarest snakes on the planet. Only one other species had even been identified, and it went extinct in 1975.

This snake is most common on Round Island, an uninhabited 1.7 square kilometer patch of land in the Indian Ocean that has been a designated nature reserve since the 1950s. They have been introduced to a number of other islands as well, and there are currently around 1,000 individuals in the wild. Habitat loss an
d introduced animals were major causes to their decline, and efforts are being made to remove some of the invasive species from the Boa's habitat.

Round Island Boas are slender, with very thin, pointed heads. They grow to a maximum of 5ft, with females being slightly longer than males. They (and their now-extinct family member The Round Island Burrowing Boa) are the only snakes to have split jaws, which may help them to hunt their favorite prey-- Lizards and Geckos.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Mauritius
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Bolyeriidae -- Genus : Casarea-- Species : C. dussumieri

Image : Captive Reptile Forums

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Burrowing Cobra

Paranaja multifasiata

The Burrowing Cobra is sometimes referred to as the Many-banded Snake... which is kind of a confusing name because they don't actually have true bands on them at all. They have s
hiny black scales that also have creamy-yellow blotching on them, giving an almost checkered pattern.

Burrowing Cobras are the only the only members of the Paranaja genus, and they live only in a handful of countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Camaroon. They are not as long as teh Forest Cobra, one of their closer relatives-- they grow to only about 2ft.

Little is known about this species-- there has been no major conservation studies, which is why they are not listed at all by the IUCN. And we don't even know how dangerous their venom is! (Like all members of the Elapidae family, they are a venomous species). Interesting to think of all the potentially deadly creatures out there that we we so little about!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Africa
Size : Body length around 2ft (60cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Elapidae -- Genus : Paranaja-- Species : P. multifasciata

Image : Wuster

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Ringed Water Cobra

Naja annulata

There are two species of Water Cobra in the world, and today's animal is one of them (the other being the Congo water Cobra). They are a largely aquatic species (hence the name) and are rarely seen by humans, as they are active during both the night and daytime, and are non-confrontational.

Ringed Water Cobras live in eastern and central Africa, and are seldom found far from bodies of water. They are slow movers on land, but excellent when hunting in rivers and lakes. These snakes feed almost exclusively on fish, but will also take amphibians as well.

As with all Cobras, the Ringed Water Cobra has a venomous bite. However, because they are not often encountered, their venom has not been as well studied as that of some other species. Also like other cobras, they sport hoods that fan out when threatened... though these hoods are rather narrow. They can be identified by the contrasting brown and black bands that run the length of their body.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : East and Central Africa
Size : SLength up to 9ft (2.8m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Elapidae -- Genus : Naja -- Species : N. annulata

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African Rock Python

Python sebae

The African Rock Python is the longest snake on the African continent, and is one of the longest snake species on the planet, measuring up to 20ft. They live throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, in two different location-based sub-species. They live in a wide range of habitats, from forests to open scrublands.

African Rock Pythons kill their prey through constriction-- wrapping their bodies around an animal and squeezing it until it dies (usually from cardiac arrest or suffocation). Because of their flexible jaws they can kill and consume animals whole that are very large, including Antelopes, Warthogs, Crocodiles, and Monkeys. These snakes are capable of killing and consuming adult humans, but these attacks are incredibly, incredibly rare.

The strong coils of this snake aren't just used to kill-- mothers actually wrap around their eggs to protect them from predators. They are one of the egg-laying snake species, and deposit up to 100 hard shelled eggs at a time. It can take as long as 90 days for the eggs to hatch.

In the past few years African Rock Pythons have become an invasive species in Florida. They are a common, captive kept snake, and these invasive populations comes from escapes and releases.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 20ft (6m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Pythonidae -- Genus : Python -- Species : P. sebae

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Ringneck Snake

Diadophis punctatus

The Ringneck Snake has a very large range that covers most of the United States, bits of Canada, and stretches of Canada. They live in a huge range of habitats, from forests, to grasslands, to riversides. However, despite their spread and general abundance they are rarely seen, due to a secretive nature and a nocturnal lifestyle.

If you do happen to come across one, you would notice their small size (up to 15in) and their name-sake ringed neck. Most of the subspecies have some variation of this band, and it ranges in color from yellow to red. You also may notice their undersides, as they tend to flip upside down, striking a strange, defensive warning pose when threatened. Though their tops are olive green, brown, or grey, their undersides are vibrantly yellow, orange, or red.

Not so unsurprisingly, Ringneck Snakes have been little observed in the wild. Only around 6 instances of mating have ever been recorded. One might think that to be enough to get a general idea, but the snakes appear to have varied social structures. While the mating act may be similar (female attracts male with pheromones, male bites female on neck), the egg laying and hatching varies. Some of the Ringneck Snakes live alone, while others live in colonies of up to 100. In those larger groups, communal nests are more common, while single snakes nest alone. Only one brood is produced each year, with mating taking place either in spring or fall (delayed fertilization is possible), and hatching occurring in August and September.

It is estimated that Ringneck Snakes have a lifespan of up to 20 years, though the oldest in captivity only made it to 6. They feed on Salamanders, Frogs, and invertebrates, using some constriction to secure their prey, and then injecting it with venom to finish it off.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : North America
Size : Body Length up to 15in (38cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Diadophis-- Species : D. punctatus

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Najash

Najash rionegrina

Najash is an extinct Snake named for the Hebrew word Nahash-- the biblical snake who tempted Adam and Eve. They lived around 90 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous, and their fossils have been uncovered in Patagonia, Argentina.

Najash is notable because it still had legs. Two of them to be precise, and they weren't just vestigial little limbs that weren't connected to anything. Najash still had a sacrum, a pelvic girdle, and clear femora, fibulae, and tibiae!

This species was only recently discovered back in 2003, and it has helped to answer long standing questions regarding the nature of Snake evolution. There have been aquatic theories in the past, ideas that Snakes came from the same common ancestor as the Mosasaurs. Since the 1990s, however, the terrestrial origin theories have been gaining more ground (it was around then that early vestigal-limbed snakes were found). The discovered of Najash with its fully functional, burrowing-capable appendages has only given that theory more legs to stand on (forgive the pun).

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Status : Extinct for 90 millions years

Location : Argentina
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Suborder : Serpentes -- Genus :†Najash -- Species :†N. rionegrina

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St. Lucia Racer

Liophis ornatus

Yesterday we talked about about a snake that is Critically Endangered, and considered "the rarest snake in the world". Today we'll learn about a snake that might be able to vie for that title-- it was considered extinct for nearly 75 years before being recently rediscovered.

The St. Lucia Racer, another snake endemic to a Caribbean Island, was actually declared extinct back in 1936. Its decline was also due to the introduction of Rats and Mongooses to the island. There was a potential sighting in the 1970s, but everyone throught that the small island snakes were gone. Only a few weeks ago (early July, 2012), news stories began to report that the Racer had been found again on a small, 30 acre island. There are at least 11 individuals on the site, though there may be more.

All of the newly rediscovered snakes were micro-chipped and re-released. There is most assuredly inbreeding within the population, but the full extent of their lack of genetic diversity wot be known for a few more months.

Like the Antiguan Racer we learned about yesterday, the St. Lucia Racer is a small snake. It measures less than 1m in length. It is also said to be very docile with humans, and it eats small frogs and lizards.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : St. Lucia
Size : Length around 1m

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Liophis -- Species : L. ornatus

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Antiguan Racer

Alsophis antiguae

The Antiguan Racer is believed to be the rarest snake in the entire world. It is so rare, in fact, that in 1995 there were only 50 left! The Racers grow to lengths of around 1m, prefer to live in shady areas, and are completely harmless to humans.

Unfortunately, humans were farm from harmless toward the Racer population, which dwindled due to human involvement and introduced predators. When colonists arrived on the island of Antigua, they inadvertently brought Black Rats along with them. The Rats multiplied quickly, feeding on crops and Racer eggs, among other things. The farmers, wanting to get rid of the rats, introduced Asian Mongooses. Unfortunately, the Mongooses also fed on Snakes, and not just their eggs. It wasn't long before the Antiguan Racer was completely extinct on the island of Antigua itself. They continued to survive in small numbers on the Mongoose free Great Bird Island.

Though they were free from Mongooses on Great Bird Island, the snakes still had to worry about Rats, natural disasters (like hurricanes and droughts), and a loss of genetic diversity due to inbreeding. In 1995, when the population hit 50 individuals, a successful effort was made to eradicate all Rats from Great Bird.

The population doubled with the loss of the Rats, but it was discovered that the island was too small to sustain a larger snake population. Efforts are ongoing to remove Rats and Mongooses from other offshore islands, so that the snakes can be reintroduced there as well.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Antigua
Size : Length up to 1m

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Alsophis -- Species : antiguae

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Brown Tree Snake

Boiga irregularis

Today's animal is the Brown Tree Snake, a reptile that would be nothing particularly special... if it wasn't for the impact it has has as an invasive species over the last 60 years. They have caused an incredible amount of destruction on the island of Guam, resulting in the extinction of a handful of other species and costing millions of dollars of damage.

You see, they aren't originally from Guam. They actually hail from Australia, New Guinea, and a handful of other large islands in Melanesia. In their native range they can be found in a variety of habitats, including areas free of trees! You heard me right, Brown Tree Snakes can be found in grasslands and in cliff areas, as well as in forests.

Sometime after World War II, but before 1952, a couple of Brown tree Snakes made their way to Guam as stowaways in ship cargo. When they reached the small island it didn't take long for massive devastation to occur. By 1968 they had spread across the entire island, due to the fact that they had no natural predators and no competition from other snakes.

The Brown Tree Snakes have led to the endangerment of several local bird, reptile, and mammal populations. In fact, twelve different native birds have gone completely extinct. In addition to hurting the local fauna, the plant diversity has also suffered. Many animals that served as pollinators saw their numbers decline, which resulted in a loss of plant life. And have I mentioned the power outages? Brown Tree Snakes love to climb electrical wires, causing blackouts and massive repair bills.

So what is being done about this dangerous invasive species? Well, lots of things actually, but there are so many snakes that it has been difficult to control them (recent surveys show as many as 20 snakes per acre, one of the highest Snake densities in the world!) Traps and poisons have been deployed to cut the numbers down, and recently it was discovered that Acetaminophen is deadly to Brown Tree Snakes. As a result, the government has been dropping dead mice laced with Tylenol into the trees.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Australia, New Guinea, Melanesia
Size : Length up to 6.6ft (2m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Boiga -- Species : B. irregularis

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Lake Erie Water Snake

Nerodia sipedon insularum

The Lake Erie Water Snake is actually a subspecies of the very common Northern Water Snake. While the species as a whole is found across the northern areas of the continent, the Lake Erie subspecies is confined to a very small area of land on that titular lake.

This non-venomous subspecies is so remarkable because it was once rare and endangered. It was listed as a federally threatened animal in 1999, due to intentional killings and habitat loss. 20 years ago there were only about 1,200 adult snakes remaining!

Lake Erie Water Snakes have now dramatically rebounded, thanks to habitat protection, community involvement, and a recovery plan. They were de-listed by the federal government in August 2011.

One really great story behind the resurgence of the subspecies is that they help to curb the Round Goby population. The fish is an invasive species that has harmed the native populations. Lake Erie Water Snakes now consume the invasive fish in huge numbers- they make up 90% of their diet!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 4ft (1.2m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Nerodia -- Species : N. sipedon -- Subspecies : N. s. insularum

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Gaboon Viper

Bitis gabonica

The Gaboon Viper of Sub-Saharan Africa has a couple of important distinctions. Is has the highest venom yield among its family members, the longest fangs (up to 2in!), and the largest weight.

Gaboon Vipers hunt at night in forested areas. Their scale patterning makes for excellent camouflage among the leaves. They hunt small mammals, birds, and amphibians by waiting quietly and then ambushing with their deadly fangs and venom.

Female Gaboon Vipers only breed once every 2-3 years, but when they do they can have as many as 60 offspring at once! And these are not eggs, the young snakes enter the world via live birth! One interesting fact I found is that these snakes are rarely bred by zoos. There is so much breeding going on in the pet industry that zoos and aquariums are asked to take in confiscated animals.

Yes, some people actually do keep these venomous snakes as pets! A man who lives in my county was bit by one of his Gaboon Vipers last year, and bites can be fatal in humans (he lived). The venom attacks the blood vessels and causes internal bleeding, swelling, and intense pain.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Africa
Size : Length around 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Viperidae -- Genus : Bitis -- Species : B. gabonica

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Bailey's Snake

Thermophis baileyi

Yesterday we learned about a Monkey that lives at a higher altitude than just about any other primate species. Today we'll talk about a snake that has that same distinction within its own family (what can I say, I got really inspired by an episode of Nature.)

Bailey's Snake is a species that is only found around the Chutsen Chugang Hot Spring in Tibet, though they may also be present by a few other nearby springs. The altitude of this area is around 14,300ft (4350m). They live higher up than any other snake species on the planet!

These snakes can be identified by their small size (they only grow to about 2.5ft), olive coloration, a dark stripe down the back, and a lighter underbelly.

Not much is known about the Bailey's Snake, even though they were first discovered and identified in 1907. The species is considered to be Vulnerable. Their home range is very small which makes them susceptible to population decline should anything happen to that area.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Tibet
Size : Body Length up to 30in (76cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Thermophis -- Species : T. baileyi

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Red Spitting Cobra

Naja pallida

As its name hints at, the Red Spitting Cobra spits. They have fangs that allow them to spray venom from their mouths, and they are very accurate too. A Red Spitting Cobra can hit a target from 8ft (2.5m) away! When you consider their small size (only a few feet long) that is quite the distance!

Red Spitting Cobras live in the grasslands, deserts, and savannas of East Africa. They are a terrestrial species, and feed on small mammals, other reptiles, and birds and bird eggs. They typically rear up and spit when they feel threatened.

Did you know that these snakes can be kept as pets in many countries? Their captivity doesn't make them any less dangerous, and one snake owner died after being spit on by his pet just a few months back. In the wild they very rarely cause human deaths.

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IUCN Status : Not Evaluated
Location : East Africa
Size : Length around 4ft (1.2m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Suborder : Serpentes -- Family : Elapidae -- Genus : Naja -- Species : N. pallida

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Sanajeh

Recreation of the fossil site

When we talk about extinct, prehistoric reptiles, we are usually talking about the Dinosaurs, but they definitely weren't the only scaly creatures crawling around millions of years ago. Today's animals, Sanajeh indicus was a species of snake that not only lived with the dinosaurs.... it actually ate their children.

Snakes first appeared around 98 million years ago, but the fossils from that long ago are few, fragmented, and are typically just scattered vertebrae. Not so with the 67 million year old Sanajeh. The holotype specimen (the fossil to which all other fossils of the species are compared) actually has a near complete skull and lower jaw, along with several segmented sections of vertebrae.

What is even more awesome, however, is the way in which the fossil was found- it's coiled around a Dinosaur nest, complete with baby Dinosaur! After study of the fossil, which was found in India, it was determined that the Snake was in the process of hunting when it, and the nest of three eggs and a baby, were caught unaware by a deposit of sediment. Landslide perhaps? When an additional Snake fossil was found, also within nest proximity, Sanajeh's status as an eater of mini-Dinos was cemented!

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Status : Extinct for 67 million years

Location : India
Size : Length 11ft (3.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata -- Suborder : Serpentes
Family : †Madtsoiidae -- Genus : †Sanajeh -- Species : †S. indicus

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Olive Sea Snake

Aipysurus laevis

Olive Sea Snakes, named for their scale coloration, are found in shallow reef areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are typically found no deeper than 150ft (45m).

They are fully aquatic; they and live, breed, and feed underwater, but they must surface for air once every half hour. These snakes even give birth underwater, to live young!

Olive Sea Snakes are actually venomous, and can do a lot of damage if they bite you. Fortunately, bites are uncommon, and an antivenom exists.

They feed on fish and crustaceans, and are active during both day and night.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Indian and Pacific Oceans
Size : Length up to 6.5ft (2m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family:  Elapidae -- Genus : Aipysurus -- Species : A. laevis

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Dark-Spotted Anaconda

Eunectes deschaunenseei

Meet one of the lesser known members of the Anaconda Clan, the Dark-Spotted or De Schauensee's Anaconda. The species is named for Rodolphe Meyer de Schauensee, who donated the first captive specimen to the Philadelphia Zoo in 1924. There remain a handful of captive snakes worldwide.

We don't really know very much about these snakes. They are found in parts of Brazil and French Guiana, but they are so rarely spotted that no one knows much relating to their behavior, or even how large their population is!

What we do know is that like all the Anacondas, they are non-venomous. And based on the observation of a few females, they have litters that number between 2 and 26.

It's pretty amazing to think that we know so much about the Green and Yellow Anacondas, but that their close relative remains such a mystery!

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IUCN Status : Data Deficient

Location : South America

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Boidae -- Genus : Eunectes -- Species : E. deschauenseei

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Rough Green Snake

Opheodrys aestivus

The Rough Green Snake is a very slender reptile that can be found  near forested areas in the Southeastern United States. They are diurnal and arboreal, and their entire bodies are a light green, which helps them to hide among the vegetation.

Breeding typically takes place during the spring, and males leave the female immediately after copulation. She will lay only about a dozen eggs, but it takes between 5 and 12 weeks to hatch. Interestingly, the gestation time is based on the temperature outside. After the eggs hatch the females have nothing more to do with their offspring.

Rough Green Snakes are primarily insectivores, though they will also eat small vertebrates as well. They are neither venomous nor are they constrictors. They hunt using their exceptional vision, and by striking at their prey with quick speed.

Rough Green Snakes are common throughout their range, and are not currently threatened.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Southeastern United States
Size : Length up to 3ft (90cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Opheodrys -- Species : O. aestivus

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