#Boa constrictor imperator voucher skin#
#Boa constrictor imperator voucher full#

The subspecific name ortonii is in honor of American naturalist James Orton. Long-tailed boa constrictor or long-tailed boaĪrgentine boa constrictor or Argentine boa South America except for the ranges of the other three subspecies Red-tailed boa constrictor or red-tailed boa

#Boa constrictor imperator voucher full#

Boa imperator, Boa nebulosa, Boa orophias and Boa sigma have all been elevated to full species status. Some appear to be based more on location rather than on biological differences. Several subspecies of Boa constrictor have been described in the past, but many of these are poorly differentiated, and further research may redefine many of them. Other common names include chij-chan ( Mayan), jiboia ( Latin American), and macajuel ( Trinidadian). Within the exotic pet trade, it is also known as a 'BCC', an abbreviation of its scientific name, to distinguish it from other boa species, such as Boa imperator or 'BCI.' Īll subspecies are referred to as 'boa constrictors', and are part of a diverse group of New World boas referred to as 'red-tailed' boas, comprising the species Boa constrictor and Boa imperator. Only one other vertebrate animal shares this trait, the theropod dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex.

Though all boids are constrictors, only this species is properly referred to as the 'boa constrictor' - an instance of an animal having the same English common name and scientific binomial. This article focuses on the species Boa constrictor as a whole, and on the nominate subspecies B.

A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. The species is native to tropical South America. The boa constrictor is a member of the family Boidae.

#Boa constrictor imperator voucher skin#

Hunted for their fine, ornate skin and for sale in the exotic pet trade, some boa constrictors have protected status in their range.The boa constrictor (scientific name also Boa constrictor), also known as the common boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The largest boa constrictor ever found measured 18 feet. Boas are about 2 feet long when they are born and grow continually throughout their 25 to 30-year lifespan. Reproduction and Conservationįemale boas incubate eggs inside their bodies and give birth up to 60 live babies. Their jaws can stretch wide to swallow large prey whole. Boas will eat almost anything they can catch, including birds, monkeys, and wild pigs. 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. Significantly smaller than anacondas, boas can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh more than 100 pounds. Like their anaconda cousins, they are excellent swimmers, but prefer to stay on dry land, living primarily in hollow logs and abandoned mammal burrows. Behaviorīoas are nonvenomous constrictors found in tropical Central and South America. 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. Boa constrictors wear some of the most distinctive markings of all reptiles.