Related QuestionsĪre boa constrictors good pets? Boa constrictors can be mellow giants and fun to own, so they can make awesome pets. The easiest differences to spot between the two groups are that boas give live birth while pythons lay eggs and that pythons have heat pits which are missing in the boa. The python generally is the larger of the two groups. However, the anaconda is actually a species of the boa. Some may think there are three types of large snakes, the boa constrictor, python, and the anaconda. If you are excited to learn more about large snakes, consider yourself part of a good group! There are two groups of large snakes, the boa constrictor and the python. What is the D ifference Between Boa Constrictors and Pythons For example, the population of dwarf boa constrictors found on Hog Island, north of Honduras. For example, there are several populations of smaller constrictors called “dwarf boa”, such as the subspecies boa constrictor imperator. The size of a boa can also depend on the subspecies and the location. They have a much larger range, from living near the edges of forests to living in clearings to inhabiting dry or tropical deserts and can even be found near rivers. Just like you see in the movies, the two subspecies previously mentioned (red-tail and imperator) can be found in the countries of South America, but they are not found only deep in the jungle. The size and weight of the boa constrictor snake can be attributed to its wide appetite and availability of prey. Once they are dead, the constrictor can then consume their prey whole, and typically digest the entire meal within six days.īecause of this speedy process, boa constrictors can eat large amounts of food, thus altering their size and becoming larger than most other snakes. They then constrict (hence the name boa constrictor) the prey until blood flow ceases in the smaller animals. Instead, they have small hooked teeth they use when they are striking at prey. Since they are nocturnal, they have a special affection for the bat, which is also a nocturnal animal, and are often catching them mid-air from a branch.īoa constrictors don’t have poisonous fangs. The constrictor will eat monkeys, bats, birds, wild pigs, and even deer. Though growth does slow down once they have hit adulthood, their bodies will continue to grow. There isn’t a period when boa constrictors stop growing. Three years old: six to ten feet in lengthīoa constrictors reach adulthood in anywhere from three to five years.Here is a break-down of the boa at different ages They didn’t even know until after they thought they had found the biggest! These were people at an actual event for snakes, these people are supposed to be the most knowledgeable. So much so that there was a challenge to the record for the longest boa snake, at eighteen and a half feet, but this snake was actually later identified as a green anaconda snake. When I did more research, I realized it is quite common for the boa constrictor to be confused with its much longer cousin, the anaconda snake. These are the two we will focus on in this article. There are many subspecies of the boa constrictor snake, but there are two main species that stand out and are most common to pet snake vendors: The boa constrictor constrictor (or true red-tailed boa) and the boa constrictor imperator. Typical male boas range from 15 pounds to 23 pounds, whereas females range from 22 pounds to 35 pounds the largest reaching up to 100 lbs (45kg). The female boa also typically outweighs the male. While the average length for a male is seven to ten feet, the females commonly stretch longer than ten feet and in captivity, can easily reach thirteen feet. This is the reverse than most snake breeds.

You may be surprised to learn that the female boa is the larger of the two sexes. I would like to present to you the most current information on the size of boas. According to National Geographic, the longest recorded boa was eighteen feet, five more than a mature female boa.Īs a species that was imported into the United States, there is still a lot to learn about them. Just how long do boa constrictors get? When born, boa constrictors are usually two feet long and can grow up to thirteen feet. I did some research as to how accurate the length of the boa constrictor has been portrayed. They are most commonly displayed in popular media as lengthy, large, sometimes never-ending creatures draped across tree branches deep in the jungle. Boa constrictors are known to be quite long but how long they grow to be is something I’ve asked myself.

Do boa constrictor bite