Bahamian pygmy boa constrictor

Tropidophis canus
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Tropidophiidae
Genus: Tropidophis
Species: T. canus
Binomial name
Tropidophis canus
(Cope, 1868)
Subspecies

4 recognized, see text

Synonyms
  • Ungalia cana Cope, 1868
  • Ungualia curta
    Garman, 1887
  • Tropidophis canus
    Schwartz & Henderson, 1991
  • Tropidophis curtus
    Hedges, 2002[1]

The Bahamian pygmy boa constrictor (Tropidophis canus) or simply the Bahamian pygmy boa is a species of nonvenomous dwarf boa native to the Bahamas. The snake's total length (including tail) is short, averaging between 30 centimetres (12 in) and 60 centimetres (24 in). Bahamian pygmy boas have the ability to voluntarily bleed and coil into a tight ball as a defense mechanisms. Four subspecies are recognized, and occur across many different Bahamian Islands.

Description

Physical

Like many species of pygmy boas the Bahamian pygmy boa is a rather small snake averaging between 30 cm (12 in) and 60 cm (24 in) in total length.[2][3] The snake has the ability to change color through the movement of its dark pigment granules. Depending on the time of the day, a light or dark color may provide better camouflage.[2] The Bahamian pygmy boa has a yellow-orange tail tip, which is likely used to lure unsuspecting prey.[2] In the 1960s herpetologists Schwartz and March recorded an ontogenetic change within the populations of all four subspecies.[4] Juvenile snakes were reportedly spotted with dark blotches on a lighter ground color, while adults were only faintly spotted with a less prominent body color.[4]

Behavior

Bahamian pygmy boas are mostly inactive during daytime hours, usually coming out at night or during rain.[2] Most dwarf boas are terrestrial and rest underground or in vegetation. A few have adapted to being arboreal.[2][3] Young boas live in trees and shrubs and feed mostly on anole lizards. Adult boas feed on frogs, birds and rats.[5] If threatened, the snake has been observed to coil up into a tight ball similar to that of a ball python.[2] On Andros Island the species is known as the "shame snake" because of this defensive tactic.[2] It also has the ability to voluntarily bleed from its eyes, mouth, and nostrils.[2][3][6]

Taxonomy

Subspecies

References

  1. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Snakes". Ardastra Zoological Gardens. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Schwartz, Albert; Robert Henderson (1991). Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1049-7.
  4. 1 2 de Sa, Rafael O. (2005). "Global Biodiversity Crisis: Genetic Diversity and Amphibian Extinction" (PDF). Richmond, Virginia: University of Richmond.
  5. http://bnt.bs/wildlife/reptiles/snakes/bahamian-boa-constrictor/
  6. 1 2 "Reptiles of Bimini". University of Miami. Retrieved 10 April 2010.

Further reading

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.