Red-tailed Boa

Boa constrictor

RANGE Southern Mexico to Argentina

HABITAT Forests, stream banks, croplands

DIET Small mammals, rodents, birds

Unique like human fingerprints, no two boas have the same color patterns. Boas have vestiges of hind legs or hip bones near end of tail (not usually visible).

Snakes shed skin because they are growing. The number of times the skin is shed depends on the food supply. Young snakes shed more often than adults. The pigment is under many layers of skin and is not shed.

Young are born alive (ovoviviparous - after fertilization, the eggs remain in the female body until babies are developed.)