8 Striking Facts About Boa Constrictors (2024)

Animals

Wildlife

Learn some fascinating facts about the thick-bodied, nonvenomous snakes.

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Russell McLendon

8 Striking Facts About Boa Constrictors (1)

Russell McLendon

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  • University of Georgia

Russell McLendon is a science writer with expertise in the natural environment, humans, and wildlife. He holds degrees in journalism and environmental anthropology.

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Updated July 27, 2022

Boa constrictors are some of the most famous snakes, partly because they're popular as pets, but also because of their vast size — sometimes 13 feet (3.9 meters) long and weighing more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms), the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute says.

There are more than 40 species of boas and they live in deserts, tropical forests, and savannasfrom Mexico to Argentina. Cousins of the green anaconda, these weighty serpents captivate researchers for many reasons (for instance, did you know they still have some remnants of legs?). Discover what makes the great boa constrictor so fascinating.

1. All Boas Are Constrictors, but There's Only One Boa Constrictor

8 Striking Facts About Boa Constrictors (2)

"Boa" is a common name for more than 40 constricting snake species, all nonvenomous members of the family Boidae. It's also the name of a genus within that family, though, and the genus Boa contains only one recognized species, the boa constrictor. This is one of the fairly rare cases when a species' common and scientific names are the same (other examples: Aloe vera and Tyrannosaurus rex).

Boa constrictors are New World snakes, native to habitats from northern Mexico through Central and South America. There are several distinct subspecies, including the red-tailed boa (from the northern Amazon basin), boa constrictor amarali (from the southern Amazon basin), boa constrictor occidentalis (from Paraguay and Argentina), and boa constrictor nebulosa (from Dominica).

2. Boa Constrictors Give Birth to Live Babies

Boa constrictors are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs stay inside the mother's body until they're ready to hatch, after which she gives birth to live young. Those baby boas hit the ground slithering, and are independent within minutes of their birth. Most clutches contain about 30 neonates, according to the Oakland Zoo. They average 6 to 24 inches (15 to 61 centimeters) in length at birth, but grow up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) within several months. They reach sexual maturity at 3 or 4 years old, at which point some individuals may stretch more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) long.

3. They Don't Kill Their Prey by Suffocation

Boa constrictors are ambush hunters, often hanging from trees until they can grab a passing animal with their jaws. Once that happens, they create two or more loops with their bodies to fully encircle their prey. By wrapping around the rib cage, they can compress their victim's vital organs and also monitor its heartbeat, letting them know when the deed is done.

Scientists long believed that boas kill with suffocation, but a 2015 study found they actually use an even quicker method: They cut off their victims' blood supply. Many animals can survive a relatively long time without air (as demonstrated when humans are revived after nearly drowning), and because boa constrictors' natural prey can be dangerous—often equipped with sharp claws, teeth, hooves, or beaks—the snakes work as quickly as possible. After a large meal, a boa constrictor may not need to eat again for weeks.

4. They Still Use What's Left of Their Legs

Like all snakes, boa constrictors evolved from four-legged ancestors. They are considered primitive snakes, though, because they still have some ancient features that have since faded away in most snake species. That includes two functioning lungs (others use only one lung, an adaptation to their elongated body shape) and remnants of legs called "pelvic spurs." Boas no longer need legs for locomotion, but they continue to use their vestigial limbs, which resemble claws protruding from their underbellies. Males use them for mating, for example, and they're said to come in handy during combat, too.

5. Living With Boas Is a Long Commitment

Boa constrictors are naturally solitary snakes that can adapt relatively well to captivity. That said, no human should enter such a relationship lightly. Wild boa constrictors can live for 20 to 30 years, and in captivity, they've been known to surpass 40. That's a long time to feed and care for any pet, but especially one that requires so much habitat maintenance to prevent problems like scale rot.

Zoos are often unable to take orphaned boa constrictors because of how much space they require, and they should never be released into the wild because they can cause major ecological problems. Boa constrictors rarely pose a direct threat to people, but large snakes should always be handled with extreme care and fed with more than one person present.

6. In the Wild, They Help Control Rodents

While wild snakes can seem frightening to some people, boa constrictors—like most snakes, and predators in general—provide valuable ecosystem services in their natural habitats. Snakes, of course, eat mice, rats, and other rodents that sometimes raid human food supplies and cause harm to humans beyond giving them a scare.

7. They Have Strong Senses, Despite Not Having Ears

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Snakes don't have external ears, but they make up for it with their acute vibration sensitivity. They can detect sound vibrations and even the smallest underground movements in their jaw bones, and their eyes can see in the ultraviolet spectrum. Like all snakes, boa constrictors have split tongues that pick up odor molecules and detect where, exactly, the smell is coming from.

8. They Are in Danger

Boa constrictors have not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), but most subspecies are on the CITES Appendix II list ("not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so") and the boa constrictor occidentalis is on the Appendix I list ("the most endangered"). Wild populations have declined due to habitat loss, road mortality, and overcollection for the pet trade, especially on offshore islands.

Save the Boa Constrictors

  • Think twice before adopting a boa constrictor or an exotic pet of any kind. These snakes require a lot of specialized care and they tend to live for decades. If you wish to surrender your boa constrictor, never release it into the wild. Contact a local conservation organization, like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which offers an Exotic Pet Amnesty Program.
  • Don't participate in the illegal wildlife trade. Avoid purchasing exotic skins, teeth, or other items when on vacation.
  • Donate to a conservation organization such as Save The Snakes, which aims to protectthreatenedsnakepopulations and mitigate human-snakeconflict around the world.
8 Striking Facts About Boa Constrictors (2024)

FAQs

What are interesting facts about boa constrictor? ›

After a large meal, a boa doesn't need to eat again for weeks. A boa constrictor grows throughout its whole life, which can be 20 to 30 years. An adult boa will generally weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms) and grow to about 13 feet (4 meters) long. Boa constrictors tend to live alone.

How fast do boa constrictors strike? ›

Boa constrictors and pythons are “strikers,” he notes. Their attacks are lightning-fast—covering some 2.7 meters per second—and tend to come from above their prey.

How long can a boa constrictor live? ›

Along with ball pythons, boas are believed to be some of the longest-lived of all snakes. In general, boa constrictors can live 35 or more years. The longest-lived boa ever recorded was 40 years, 4 months. Boa constrictors are native to Central and South America.

How many hearts does a boa constrictor have? ›

Snakes have only one heart, which has three chambers. Mammals have one heart with four chambers.

How long can a boa constrictor go without eating? ›

Answer and Explanation: Boa constrictors can go a very long time without eating, weeks or even months if necessary since they are cold-blooded organisms who do not need to keep a high metabolism (like we warm-blooded humans do).

How fast is a boa constrictor? ›

They can't move very fast, only about 1 mile per hour (1.6 kilometres per hour) on open ground. But since they don't have to chase their food, they don't need to travel quickly. Boa constrictors can swim; most don't spend significant time in water.

How hard can a boa squeeze? ›

The curly-fry crush of a boa—which can exert pressures of up to 25 pounds per square inch—doesn't just squish the life out of its prey.

How long can a boa constrictor hold its breath? ›

“They do this for 10, 15, up to 45 minutes,” said Elizabeth Brainerd, an evolutionary biologist at Brown University. “And that takes quite a bit of energy, so they have to be breathing.” Dr.

How painful is a boa constrictor bite? ›

These snakes are not venomous, but their bites are still incredibly painful, so you should seek medical care if you're attacked by one. Instead of elongated fangs, a boa constrictor has rows of curved teeth that are all the same size.

Do boas have good eyesight? ›

They are nocturnal; however they may bask during the day especially when night-time temperatures are low. Boa constrictors have good vision, even into the ultraviolet spectrum.

How many babies do boas have? ›

Female boas incubate eggs inside their bodies and give birth up to 60 live babies. Boas are about 2 feet long when they are born and grow continually throughout their 25 to 30-year lifespan.

How long are boas pregnant? ›

Boa constrictors give birth approximately 105 days after postovulatory shedding and approximately 123 days after ovulation [1,21]. In comparing the mean gestation length of primiparous and pluriparous, there were no significant differences.

What are some cool facts about boa constrictors? ›

Discover what makes the great boa constrictor so fascinating.
  • All Boas Are Constrictors, but There's Only One Boa Constrictor. ...
  • Boa Constrictors Give Birth to Live Babies. ...
  • They Don't Kill Their Prey by Suffocation. ...
  • They Still Use What's Left of Their Legs. ...
  • Living With Boas Is a Long Commitment.

How old is the oldest boa constrictor? ›

Boas can live up to 25 years in the wild and up to 30 years or more in captivity. The oldest common boa in captivity was recorded to have lived 40 years.

Is a boa constrictor poisonous? ›

Non-venomous.

Boa Constrictors may bite to defend themselves. Small individuals are not generally dangerous to people or pets. However, larger boa constrictors have large, sharp teeth, and their bites can cause severe lacerations. Large animals are also fully capable of eating dogs and cats.

Does boa constrictor have teeth? ›

The common boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) is a large snake that can reach lengths of up to 4 m. Its teeth are sharp and recurved (Fig. 7.13). With four rows of teeth in the upper jaw and two in the lower, there are well over 100 teeth in the dentition.

How poisonous is a boa constrictor? ›

About. The boa constrictor, also nicknamed the red-tailed boa or the common boa is one of the largest snakes in the world. Boas are not poisonous, but have the ability to intensely suffocate prey. Boas will surprise their prey by coiling around them and squeezing them until death.

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