Dumeril’s Boa

ANIMAL:
Dumeril’s Boa          Acrantophis dumerili

Type of Animal:
Boa/Python

Habitat:
Dry/semi-arid forest, thornbush, savanna, villages, eucalyptus forest, tropical forest, woodland, grassland, open forest

Location(s):
S & SW Madagascar & Mascarene Islands

Appearance:
Females larger than males, males have longer skinnier tails, gray-brown ground color w/ dark patches, heavy bodied, mottled coloration, some individuals have pink or copper on them, glossy black markings around mouth, patterns of brown, tan, & black

Food/Diet:
Rodents, birds, lemurs, lizards, tenrecs, mongooses, bats, other snakes (including smaller members of own species)

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding from zoos, wildlife parks, aquariums, & reptile breeders

Lifestyle:
Solitary

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Snakelet
Group-Solitary

Weight:
Male- 15 lbs
Female- 20 lbs

Gestation:
4-8 months 

Life Span:
20-25 years

Body Length:
Male- 4-5 ft
Female- 6-7 ft
Young- 2.5 ft

Tail Length:
Male- 1.7 ft
Female- 1.5 ft

Main predators of adults are fossas, introduced dogs, & introduced cats. Raptors, snakes (including larger members of own species), small mammals, & pigs eat young.

Like most other boas, females give birth to 2-21 live young.

Sexually mature at 3 years old.

Prey killed by constricting & swallowing whole.

Potential threats are pet trade, deforestation, habitat loss, development, livestock grazing, hunting for meat/leather, & persecution due to chicken predation & belief that snake is bad luck.

Blends in very well w/ leaf litter in their habitat.

Males use anal spurs to tickle/stimulate female.

They’re ambush predators, hunting at night.

During daytime, they often shelter in mammal burrows, tree roots, fallen logs, and/or debris piles.

Hibernates in cooler months of May-July.

Fun Fact(s):
Can detect vibrations in ground & sound vibrations through air via jawbone.

Named after French herpetologist Andre Marie Constant Dumeril.

Often very docile snakes.

They detach whole lower jaw to swallow large prey.

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