The boa constrictor (scientific name also Boa constrictor), also known as the common boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The Boa genus contains 3 known species: Boa constrictor, Boa imperator, and Boa sigma. Until the last decade, it was thought that it was a monotypic genus containing only B. constrictor. Although many snakes of different genera belonging to the family Boidae are referred to as “boas,” only members of this genus are “true” boas. There are 8 official subspecies of B. constrictor and many more localities (geographically-unique “families” that vary enough genetically to be acknowledged as different, but not so much that they are categorized as a new subspecies). Note that most boas available in captivity are hybrids of different localities and sometimes different subspecies. More detailed resources for subspecies identification can be found at Boa-Constrictors.com.
Boas are nonvenomous constrictors found in tropical Central and South America. Like their anaconda cousins, they are excellent swimmers, but prefer to stay on dry land, living primarily in hollow logs and abandoned mammal burrows. Significantly smaller than anacondas, boas can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh more than 100 pounds. Their jaws are lined with small, hooked teeth for grabbing and holding prey while they wrap their muscular bodies around their victim, squeezing until it suffocates. Boas will eat almost anything they can catch, including birds, monkeys, and wild pigs. Their jaws can stretch wide to swallow large prey whole.
