Dog-headed boa constrictor: a snake with a difficult character (8 photos)

The dog-headed boa constrictor is beautiful, but dangerous. The ambush predator is not poisonous, but the sight of its teeth is still terrifying.





The dog-headed boa constrictor is like a rabid dog, no matter what you do, it immediately bites! Whether a passing animal in nature approaches, the owner who grooms, feeds and cherishes it will fit into the terrarium - the boa constrictor will bite everyone if the mood is bad. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re full or hungry, there’s a switch in your head.



He sits there in his South America, you know, and gets angry. There is such beauty all around - a tropical forest, a mountain of prey, the first and second layers of trees at his disposal. And he takes it and is indignant! And Brazil will get it, and Venezuela, and Bolivia, and Ecuador, and Peru... He has a grudge against everyone!



The good news is that this handsome guy is non-venomous. The bad news is that his fangs will still be healthy. The longest among all non-venomous snakes, by the way, can grow up to 5 cm!



Great teeth. Note the lack of mandibular joints. This feature helps snakes swallow prey much larger than themselves.

This kind of goodness is needed to capture prey efficiently. And there are not only all kinds of rodents and lizards. The boa constrictor's menu includes monkeys, possums, birds, and bats. In general, they are very playful comrades who require an accurate throw and a strong hold. On all edible goods, the snake eats up to a decent 2.2 meters.



The reptile uses its length like a rope: our hero is the most arboreal of all boas. And it hunts, and eats, and sleeps, and gives birth to offspring, hanging on the branches. By the way, about romance. From December to March, a love craze sets in in the crowns: serpentine men in groups besiege one chosen lady of the heart, forcing them to make a fateful choice.



It makes them so dizzy that they don’t eat or drink! When Madame finally makes up her mind, they will have a wedding right here, on the branches, their bodies intertwined. The snake's wife, however, can't crawl around well-fed for long either. She will eat her last meal approximately in the second week after conception, and then go on a hunger strike, so as not to shake everything inside once again.



As mentioned earlier, the boa constrictor does not have much contact with the ground. What else, go downstairs, put something aside... Long live ovoviviparity! The female does not lay eggs, they develop right in her womb! The snakes feed from the yolk sac and do not waste the mother's resources. Therefore, in fact, the female has the opportunity not to eat: the children from the inside will not drink all the juices. And the fasting period, I tell you, is quite long - pregnancy can last up to 260 days! No wonder boa constrictors become as angry as dogs!



Unlike adults, young snakes are born in brown-red tones, masquerading as branches rather than foliage.

On average, there are 12 children, but some snakes manage to bring as many as 20 baby snakes into the world. True, the reptile will not feel the joy of motherhood. After suffering from hunger, the female almost immediately leaves the brood and goes in search of food. This is the most dangerous period for cubs; a few days after birth they are most vulnerable. But if everything goes well, the snakes will grow up, be really angry with the whole world, and begin to bite everyone they miss for 15 years!