Size: Weight; 6 kg Length; 1.9 metres (other boa subspecies have been known to grown up to 5.5 metres long). This is one of the smaller boa subspecies. The females are considerably larger than the males.

Habitat and Distribution: The boa constrictor inhabits a wide range of habitats from lowland tropical rainforest, through to arid pampas grasslands and scrub, mountainous tropical rainforest, coastal scrubs and marshes. This subspecies is found in southern Mexico, Central America, and Northwest South America.

Age: 20-30 years but up to 40 years in captivity.

Groups and Breeding: Boas are solitary animals so in order to attract males to breed, the female emits a strong scent from her cloaca. During copulation, females can cling to the male via a small set of "spurs" that are actually evolutionary remnants of hind legs.

After fertilization, the eggs remain in the female's body, where they develop over several months inside thin membranes. After around 110 days, the young are born and the membranes rupture. As many as sixty snakes are born at one time, each measuring around 50cm. A young boa will start to hunt and feed within a week of its birth and will rapidly grow to a metre in length within a few months. They reach maturity after 2-3 years.

Diet: Boa constrictors feed mostly on birds and mammals, but have been known to eat lizards and frogs also. They kill their prey by constricting them (i.e. strangulation by squeezing!).

• They can locate their prey species using heat-sensitive scales near their snout, together with a very developed sense of smell.
• The boa is a good swimmer and spends a lot of time near and in rivers.
• Since the boa is cold-blooded and slow moving, it does not require a great amount of food. After eating a large animal, the snake will not eat for a week or more.
• In many parts of its range, the boa constrictor is considered a pest and is killed by farmers because it kills their chickens. It is also killed for its skin which can reach high prices, and for meat.
• When threatened, a boa constrictor can produce a hiss that can be heard 350 metres away!
• As with other snakes, the boa's loosely hinged jaws can be dislocated and stretched far apart, enabling it to swallow animals with bodies much larger in diameter than the boa's head.