Jun 18, 2005 5:41 pm US/Central
CBS 2 At Brookfield Zoo: Boa Constrictors
(CBS 2)
CBS 2 at Brookfield Zoo got up close to a couple of boa constrictors.
Both common and rainbow boa constrictors live in parts of Central and South America. Rainbow boa constrictors would generally spend more time on the ground, whereas your average boa constrictor will actually climb trees.
If a snake can't swallow your head and it is not poisonous, it isn't dangerous. Snakes do not want to be around animals too much larger than them.
They also can't hear, so they will use their bones to detect sound vibrations. If the snakes felt human footsteps, they would know those people were too big to eat and would hide or make a loud noise so the larger animal won't eat them.
When boa constrictors attack prey, they are like a loaded harpoon gun. They coil back and spring forward with a lot of force. They use their 100 sharp curved teeth and they can coil around small prey and keep squeezing until they don't feel a heartbeat. They also swallow their prey whole.
These animals get most of their energy from the sun, so they don't need to eat as often as humans, maybe every 10 days.
Boas can also strike faster than any other snake – 1/25th of a second.
Many people think snakes are slimy, but their texture is dry. They look shiny because they usually come out at dawn and dusk. Having the shiny appearance helps them camouflage in dew-laden grass as they crawl.
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