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Boa

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Insects, Reptiles and
Fish

                  iBoidae
   Red-tailed Boa, Boa constrictor
   Red-tailed Boa, Boa constrictor
         Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Animalia
   Phylum:   Chordata
   Class:    Reptilia
   Order:    Squamata
   Suborder: Serpentes
   Family:   Boidae
             Gray, 1825

                                   Genera

     * Acrantophis
     * Boa
     * Candoia
     * Corallus
     * Epicrates
     * Eryx
     * Eunectes
     * Gongylophis
     * Sanzinia

   Boas are a type of snake that are members of the Boidae family. Boas
   are basal snakes that are "primitive" in evolutionary terms (i.e. less
   derived). They are constrictors and most give birth to live young. They
   have anal spurs, a pair of claws on each side of the cloaca which
   assist in mating. Boas are named after cows (Latin: bos) because of the
   old myth that boa snakes pursue cows and suckle them until they are
   drained to death.

   Boas have two subfamilies: Boinae or true boas and Erycinae or sand
   boas. Pythons are sometimes classified as a subfamily of Boidae, but
   are frequently listed under their own family, Pythonidae.

Boidae

   True boas are medium sized to large snakes. Females are usually larger
   than their male counterparts. Boas contain many subspecies based on
   locaility. They include Colombian, Suriname, Bolivian, Peruvian, Hog
   Island, Long Tail Peruvian, Argentine and more. The boas from the
   amazon basin are the most colorful possessing bright cherry red tails.
   It used to be said that boas were New World Snakes and pythons were Old
   World Snakes, but, with boas found on Madagascar and the Solomon
   Islands, this is not quite true. Instead, it is possible that boas have
   survived in evolutionarily isolated areas. South America, until a few
   million years ago, had a distinct fauna that included marsupial
   mammals; with the land bridge to North America, boas have migrated
   north as placental mammals and colubrids (for example) have migrated
   south.
     * Acrantophis ( Dumeril's Boa and Madagascar Ground Boa; sometimes
       equated with Boa)
     * Boa ( Red-tailed Boa, Boa constrictor, and relatives)
     * Candoia (Pacific boas)
     * Charina(Rosy boas)
     * Corallus ( Tree boas)
     * Epicrates ( Rainbow boas and Island boas)
     * Eryx (Sand boas, Eryx johnii)
     * Eunectes (Anacondas)
     * Gongylophis ( Gongylophis conicus)
     * Sanzinia ( Madagascar Tree Boa; sometimes equated with Boa)

   An Argentine Boa
   Enlarge
   An Argentine Boa
   Cook's Tree Boa
   Enlarge
   Cook's Tree Boa

Erycinae

   Compared to true boas, erycines are quite small, with most members of
   this subfamily remaining well under a metre in length. Fossil erycines
   have been found in rock strata over 50 million years old, and were once
   widespread in North America. Now, only two species remain in North
   America, as well as the sand boas in Africa, Asia and southeastern
   Europe.

   At least three erycine species lay eggs: the Calabar Burrowing "Python"
   , Calabaria reinhardtii (once classified as a python for this reason);
   the Arabian Sand Boa, Eryx jayakari; and the West African Sand Boa,
   Eryx muelleri.
     * Calabaria reinhardtii (Calabar Burrowing "Python", Africa;
       sometimes equated with Charina)
     * Charina bottae ( rubber boas, west coast of North America)
     * Eryx ( Sand boa, Africa, western Asia and southeastern Europe)
     * Lichanura trivirgata ( Rosy boa, southwestern U.S. and northwestern
       Mexico; sometimes equated with Charina)

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boa"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
