The emerald tree boa
One of the less well-known boas of Venezuela is the Emerald Tree Boa. It is an arboreal snake whose life lapses in the high of the trees from the humid forests to the south of the Orinoco River. It is a reptile specialized in hunting birds that perch in their proximity. Their green emerald color, spotted with white, mimics a group of leaves stained with bird droppings. Their food gathering habits are passive, posed in a branch, patiently waiting for their prey, without moving. It is coiled on the branch in such way that it is possible to throw a good bite while their body is projected with force and speed on its prey. Their teeth are also specialized. The front fangs of maxillas and jaws are very long, appropriate to surely seize the body of a bird through its plumage. It is a constrictor, and once it bites its prey, it uses the rest of the neck and the body to assure it and suffocate it pressing with their coils. After suffocating the prey, slowly looses the strong squeeze, and with a lot of patience it tries to locate the head of the bird, to begin to swallowing it. Little by little it gobbles it, separating their mandibular joints and loosening their oesophagus. This interesting and showy species reproduces as other ovoviviparous. Their eggs are developed completely inside the mother's body and when born they are endowed with mobility, covered by a delicate transparent membrane and not locked in a calcareous shell as in other reptiles. The young ones are quite different from the adults. Their body is a is a white spotted coral-red. Perhaps they mimic fruits instead of leaves. Previous | Next Related linksOther destinations in Fauna: |
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