Boa Constrictors
By Nahjae
What Boa Constrictors Are
Do you know an animal that is long and can bite people? Well let me tell you, one is a BOA CONSTRICTOR!! Well, I’m going to tell you some facts about them.
Boas are very long snakes. Baby boa constrictors are 20 in long, but adult snakes are 13 feet long!
Some boas are a tan or a pinkish color, with dark crossbands on their head. Crossbands are patterns, kind of like squiggly lines, on their head.
Boas have venom (poison) in their fangs, or sharp teeth. The venom starts at the venom gland and gets compressed (squeezed) out by the compressor muscle, travels through the venom canal, and out its fangs. If you see their fangs, run as fast as you can.
Boas are also awesome swimmers. Let me tell you, the boa constrictor is nocturnal (means they sleep during the day and hunt at night).
Where Boas Live
Well, let me tell ya where boas live, get out your notepad and listen up! Boas sometimes live in grassy or tropical (warm places), like in Argentina, Central America and Mexico. So hot! They are also found in the islands in the Caribbean (a sandy place so they can cool off), deserts, and the rainforest! Wow! They are both terrestrial, which means they live on ground, and arboreal, which means they also live in trees.
You probably love those places! My favorite place is the rainforest. What about you? If you live in those places watch out for BOAS!
I love boa constrictors, do you?! If you don’t they’re going to bite you!
How Boa Constrictors Are Born!
Well hello there! It’s really great to see you. Now we are going to talk about the life cycle of the boa constrictor! It’s ovo-viviparous, which means the babies come out of an egg and then when the babies are ready to emerge they come out of the mama boa constrictor. Okay, get this, 64 babies are born at a time! How cool is that! Mother boas are solitary (they like to live alone) and they live with their babies for practically one minute once they’re born, then the babies go off on their own. Mama goes off on her own too.
The boas grow up to be 40 years old! The oldest boa in the world lived up to 40 years and 4 months. Wow! That really is a short time compared to humans.
Mostly they shed their skins in the summer. Shedding their skins helps them grow bigger. They mate each year (mama and dad), then get babies! That’s kind of gross. You learned about the boa’s life cycle, aren’t you happy? If you’re not then kiss a ….boa constrictor.
Who Eats Boas
Have you ever seen a boa constrictor get eaten by anything? I’m about to tell you who!! Well, I can’t tell you much because guess what, the boa constrictor doesn’t have that many predators! A predator is something that eats the boa constrictor. Okay, this part is sad. Boas have heat sensors to know if any animal is going to eat their babies. “Don't touch my babies you crazy TARANTULAS!!” Sorry, Mama Boa talking. Tarantulas eat the boa constrictor’s babies after they are born. Sorry that was so sad.
Warning, warning. Only humans eat them and use them for their skin to make purses, clothes, and jewelry. I feel so bad that humans do that to boa constrictors! Only lizards, moderate (medium) sized birds, and sometimes humans, bald eagles, sea eagles, wedge-tailed eagles eat boa constrictors. Army ants eat boa constrictors too! Oh my gosh, little eats big!!
You just learned about who eats boas, wasn’t that fascinating? (No not really.)
Prey
I’m going to tell you how the boa constrictor eats its prey. First, if a boa constrictor is near its prey (what it eats), it goes up to the prey really slowly. Then, when the prey is not looking, it jumps at it and just squeezes it very tightly. Then when the prey is suffocated, the boa constrictor just swallows the prey. Inside the boa, the prey gets digested. It is really nasty!
Let me tell you something you want to know, what boas eat! Everything!! Small to big! Small lizards, birds, squirrels, rats, bats, monkeys, peccaries, rodents, iguanas, crocodiles, big lizards, wild pigs, opossums, carnivores (animals that eat meat…even though the boa is a carnivore too!), rabbits, and mongooses. Adult boas can eat tarantulas, yeah!
I’m sorry that’s all of the boa constrictor. Just remember, you can look online for videos if you want to learn more!
By Nahjae
What Boa Constrictors Are
Do you know an animal that is long and can bite people? Well let me tell you, one is a BOA CONSTRICTOR!! Well, I’m going to tell you some facts about them.
Boas are very long snakes. Baby boa constrictors are 20 in long, but adult snakes are 13 feet long!
Some boas are a tan or a pinkish color, with dark crossbands on their head. Crossbands are patterns, kind of like squiggly lines, on their head.
Boas have venom (poison) in their fangs, or sharp teeth. The venom starts at the venom gland and gets compressed (squeezed) out by the compressor muscle, travels through the venom canal, and out its fangs. If you see their fangs, run as fast as you can.
Boas are also awesome swimmers. Let me tell you, the boa constrictor is nocturnal (means they sleep during the day and hunt at night).
Where Boas Live
Well, let me tell ya where boas live, get out your notepad and listen up! Boas sometimes live in grassy or tropical (warm places), like in Argentina, Central America and Mexico. So hot! They are also found in the islands in the Caribbean (a sandy place so they can cool off), deserts, and the rainforest! Wow! They are both terrestrial, which means they live on ground, and arboreal, which means they also live in trees.
You probably love those places! My favorite place is the rainforest. What about you? If you live in those places watch out for BOAS!
I love boa constrictors, do you?! If you don’t they’re going to bite you!
How Boa Constrictors Are Born!
Well hello there! It’s really great to see you. Now we are going to talk about the life cycle of the boa constrictor! It’s ovo-viviparous, which means the babies come out of an egg and then when the babies are ready to emerge they come out of the mama boa constrictor. Okay, get this, 64 babies are born at a time! How cool is that! Mother boas are solitary (they like to live alone) and they live with their babies for practically one minute once they’re born, then the babies go off on their own. Mama goes off on her own too.
The boas grow up to be 40 years old! The oldest boa in the world lived up to 40 years and 4 months. Wow! That really is a short time compared to humans.
Mostly they shed their skins in the summer. Shedding their skins helps them grow bigger. They mate each year (mama and dad), then get babies! That’s kind of gross. You learned about the boa’s life cycle, aren’t you happy? If you’re not then kiss a ….boa constrictor.
Who Eats Boas
Have you ever seen a boa constrictor get eaten by anything? I’m about to tell you who!! Well, I can’t tell you much because guess what, the boa constrictor doesn’t have that many predators! A predator is something that eats the boa constrictor. Okay, this part is sad. Boas have heat sensors to know if any animal is going to eat their babies. “Don't touch my babies you crazy TARANTULAS!!” Sorry, Mama Boa talking. Tarantulas eat the boa constrictor’s babies after they are born. Sorry that was so sad.
Warning, warning. Only humans eat them and use them for their skin to make purses, clothes, and jewelry. I feel so bad that humans do that to boa constrictors! Only lizards, moderate (medium) sized birds, and sometimes humans, bald eagles, sea eagles, wedge-tailed eagles eat boa constrictors. Army ants eat boa constrictors too! Oh my gosh, little eats big!!
You just learned about who eats boas, wasn’t that fascinating? (No not really.)
Prey
I’m going to tell you how the boa constrictor eats its prey. First, if a boa constrictor is near its prey (what it eats), it goes up to the prey really slowly. Then, when the prey is not looking, it jumps at it and just squeezes it very tightly. Then when the prey is suffocated, the boa constrictor just swallows the prey. Inside the boa, the prey gets digested. It is really nasty!
Let me tell you something you want to know, what boas eat! Everything!! Small to big! Small lizards, birds, squirrels, rats, bats, monkeys, peccaries, rodents, iguanas, crocodiles, big lizards, wild pigs, opossums, carnivores (animals that eat meat…even though the boa is a carnivore too!), rabbits, and mongooses. Adult boas can eat tarantulas, yeah!
I’m sorry that’s all of the boa constrictor. Just remember, you can look online for videos if you want to learn more!