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Boidae
The Boidae, commonly known as boas or boids, are a family of nonvenomous snakes primarily found in the Americas, as well as Africa, Europe, Asia, and some Pacific islands. Boas include some of the world's largest snakes, with the green anaconda of South America being the heaviest and second-longest snake known; in general, adults are medium to large in size, with females usually larger than the males. Six subfamilies comprising 14-15 genera and 54-67 species are currently recognized. Description Like the pythons, boas have elongated supratemporal bones. The quadrate bones are also elongated, but not as much, while both are capable of moving freely so when they swing sideways to their maximum extent, the distance between the hinges of the lower jaw is greatly increased.Parker, H.W.; Grandison, A.G.C. 1977. ''Snakes – A Natural History''. Second Edition. British Museum (Natural History) and Cornell University Press. 108 pp. 16 plates. LCCCN 76-54625. (cloth), (paper). Bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Largest Snakes
The largest living snakes in the world, measured either by length or by weight, are various members of the Boidae and Pythonidae families. They include anacondas, Python (genus), pythons and boa constrictors, which are all non-venomous Constriction, constrictors. The longest venomous snake, with a length up to , is the king cobra, while contesters for the heaviest title include the Gaboon viper and the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake. All of these three species reach a maximum mass in the range of . There are fourteen or fifteen living snake species that clearly have a maximum mass of at least , as shown in the table below. Whether the number is fourteen or fifteen depends on whether a DNA analysis reported in 2024 results in the recognition of the northern green anaconda ("''Eunectes akayima''", listed in row 1b below) as a species distinct from the ordinary (southern) green anaconda (''Eunectes murinus''). These include all species that reach a length of at least . There are also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snake
Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints than their lizard ancestors and relatives, enabling them to swallow prey much larger than their heads ( cranial kinesis). To accommodate their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side, and most only have one functional lung. Some species retain a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca. Lizards have independently evolved elongate bodies without limbs or with greatly reduced limbs at least twenty-five times via convergent evolution, leading to many lineages of legless lizards. These resemble snakes, but several common groups of legless lizards have eyelids and external ears, which snakes lack, althoug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Anaconda
The green anaconda (''Eunectes murinus''), also known as the giant anaconda, emerald anaconda, common anaconda, common water boa, or southern green anaconda, is a semi-aquatic boa species found in South America and the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is the largest, heaviest, and second longest (after the reticulated python) snake in the world. No subspecies are currently recognized, but there are two different species that have the name of the Green Anaconda which are the Northern Green Anaconda and Southern Green Anaconda. Like all boas, it is a non-venomous constrictor. The term "anaconda" often refers to this species, though the term could also apply to other members of the genus '' Eunectes''. Fossils of the snake date back to the Late Pleistocene in the Gruta do Urso locality. Taxonomy In the famous ''10th edition of Systema Naturae'' of 1758, Carl Linnaeus cited descriptions by Albertus Seba and by Laurens Theodorus Gronovius to erect the distinct species ''murina' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infrared Sensing In Snakes
The ability to sense infrared thermal radiation evolved independently in three different groups of snakes, consisting of the families of Boidae (boas), Pythonidae (pythons), and the subfamily Crotalinae (pit vipers). What is commonly called a pit organ allows these animals to essentially "see" radiant heat at wavelengths between 5 and 30 μm. The more advanced infrared sense of pit vipers allows these animals to strike prey accurately even in the absence of light, and detect warm objects from several meters away. It was previously thought that the organs evolved primarily as prey detectors, but recent evidence suggests that it may also be used in thermoregulation and predator detection, making it a more general-purpose sensory organ than was supposed.Greene HW. 1992. The ecological and behavioral context for pitviper evolution. ''In'' Campbell JA, Brodie ED Jr. 1992. Biology of the Pitvipers. Texas: Selva. 467 pp. 17 plates. . Phylogeny and evolution The facial pit underwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boa Constrictor
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 constrictor is a member of the Family (biology), family Boidae. The species is native to tropical South America. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Four subspecies are recognized. Common names Though all Boidae, boids are indeed Constriction, constrictors, only ''Boa constrictor'' (and its subspecies) is commonly referred to, in English language, English, as a boa constrictor—an example of a species being referred to colloquially using its scientific Binomial nomenclature, binomial name. The species and subspecies of ''B. constrictor'' are part of a variable, diverse group of New World boids referred to as "red-tailed" boas, comprising the species ''Boa constrictor'' and ''Boa imperator''. Within the exot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pythonidae
The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, are a Family (biology), family of Venomous snake, nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Ten Genus, genera and 39 species are currently recognized. Being naturally non-venomous, pythons must constrict their prey to induce cardiac arrest prior to consumption. Pythons will typically strike at and bite their prey of choice to gain hold of it; they then must use physical strength to constrict their prey, by coiling their muscular bodies around the animal, effectively suffocating it before swallowing whole. This is in stark contrast to venomous snakes such as the rattlesnake, for example, which delivers a swift, venomous bite but releases, waiting as the prey succumbs to envenomation before being consumed. Collectively, the pythons are well-documented and studied as constrictors, much like other non-venomous snakes, including the Boidae, boas and even kingsnakes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boinae
The Boinae are a purported subfamily of boas found in Central and South America, as well as the West Indies. In the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), ''Boinae'' is considered an invalid synonym of Boidae. Genera *) Not including the nominate subspecies. T) Type genus. Taxonomy The genera '' Acrantophis'' and '' Sanzinia'' were erroneously synonymized with the genus '' Boa'' by Kluge in 1991. These have now been transferred to the resurrected subfamily Sanziniinae. The genus '' Candoia ''has similarly been transferred to its own subfamily, Candoiinae. See also * List of boine species and subspecies References Further reading * Kluge AG. 1991. Boine Snake Phylogeny and Research Cycles. Misc. Pub. Museum of Zoology, Univ. of Michigan No. 178PDFaUniversity of Michigan Library Accessed 8 July 2008. External links BoinaeaZipcodeZoo.com Accessed 14 July 2008. * {{Authority control Extant Paleocene first appearances Snake subfamilies Taxa named by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calabar Python
The Calabar python (''Calabaria reinhardtii'') is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Boidae. The species is endemic to West and Central Africa. It is the only species in its genus. Etymology The specific name or epithet, ''reinhardtii'', is dedicated to Danish herpetologist Johannes Theodor Reinhardt (1816–1882). Taxonomy Although Schlegel (1848) first assigned this taxon to the genus '' Eryx'', most herpetologists have since regarded it as a python, which is still reflected in many of its common names. Kluge (1993) referred it to ''Charina'' ( Erycinae) based on a phylogenetic analysis. ''Charina'' was used to group together '' C. bottae'' and '' C. trivirgata'' with ''C. reinhardtii'' to emphasize evidence for an historical connection between the New and Old Worlds, as well as for taxonomic efficiency. All recent analyses, however, place ''Calabaria reinhardtii'' at the base of a large clade within Boidae, which consists of the Boinae, the Erycinae, and an Am ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanziniinae
The Sanziniinae are a subfamily of boid snakes containing four species endemic to the island of Madagascar. Common names include Madagascar boas and Malagasy boas. Taxonomy This subfamily contains two genera, each one with two species: *'' Acrantophis'' - Jan, 1860 :: '' Acrantophis dumerili'', Duméril's boa :: '' Acrantophis madagascariensis'', Madagascar ground boa or Malagasy ground boa *'' Sanzinia'' - Gray Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ..., 1849 :: '' Sanzinia madagascariensis'', Madagascar tree boa or Malagasy tree boa :: ''Sanzinia volontany'', Nosy Komba ground boa'' References * Romer, A.S.: ''Osteology of the Reptiles''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press; 1956. Further reading * Boidae Snake subfamilies {{Alethinophidia-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erycinae
The Erycinae, also known as the Old World sand boas, are a subfamily of nonvenomous snakes in the family Boidae. Species of the subfamily Erycinae are found in Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, Arabia, central and southwestern Asia, India, Sri Lanka, and western North America. Four genera comprising 18 species are currently recognized as being valid. Description Erycinae is a subfamily of stout-bodied snakes, all of which are competent burrowers. The largest, '' E. johnii'', rarely exceeds in total length (including tail). Most grow to around in total length. They have small eyes and hard, small scales to protect their skin from the grit of sand. A great deal of sexual dimorphism exists, with females generally becoming much larger than males. Erycines have skeletal adaptations to burrowing. The skull is more compact than in the subfamily Boinae. Also, the vertebrae of the tail are increased in size but reduced in number. Distribution and habitat Erycines are found in Southeastern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ungaliophiinae
Ungaliophiinae is a subfamily of booid snakes containing two genera, '' Ungaliophis'' (two species) and '' Exiliboa'' (one species). They are small constrictors that are found in Central and South America from southern Mexico to Colombia. They eat mostly lizards and frogs and have been poorly studied. These snakes were formerly thought to be closely related to two other genera, ''Tropidophis'' and '' Trachyboa''; all four genera were united in the family (Tropidophiidae) based on the presence of a tracheal lung and the absence of a left lung. However, ''Ungaliophis'' and ''Exiliboa'' are now known to be more closely related to the booids, whereas ''Tropidophis'' and ''Trachyboa'' are now known to be more closely related to the American pipe snake ('' Anilius scytale''). Within the Booidea, ''Ungaliophis'' and ''Exiliboa'' are thought to be most closely related to the North American ''Charina ''Charina'' is a genus of nonvenomous boas, commonly known as rubber boas, found in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spur (zoology)
A spur is an outgrowth of bone covered in a sheath of horn found in various anatomical locations in some animals. Unlike claws or nails, which grow from the tip of the toes, spurs form from other parts of the foot, usually in connection with joints where the toes meet the foot or the foot meets the long bones. Spurs are most commonly found on the hindfeet, though some birds possess spurs at the leading edge of the wings. Anatomy A spur is much like a true horn; it is a bony core attached to the skeleton and has an outer horny layer. Like horns, the spur grows from the base outwards, so the tip is older than the base. Some spurs form as an outgrowth of an existing bone, though most are secondarily formed as dermal bone hinged to the skeleton through a semi-rigid joint. Spurs on the hind-feet do not appear to molt, but the wing spurs of birds are molted once a year along with the wing feathers. Unlike claws, spurs are normally straight or only slightly curved, making them s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
