Interesting Facts About the Madagascan Tree Boa
The Madagascan tree boa is native to mainland Madagascar's forests, ranging from the drier woodlands to the tropical rainforest ecosystems. In addition, the species is present on an island off Madagascar called Nosy Be. This member of the boa family is a constrictor, killing its prey by wrapping around it and tightening its muscles until the creature can no longer breathe. The species faces threats from loss of its forest habitat.
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Trees and Ground
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The tree part of this boa's name does not really fit, since the species will spend more of its time on the ground than up in a tree, especially the larger adult snakes. The young snakes spend a significant portion of their day in trees and the snake does the majority of its hunting in an arboreal setting, searching for such prey as birds and bats. The Bronx Zoo website says the snake favors the hollow areas beneath a tree that exist in the roots as a hiding spot.
Identification
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The Madagascan tree boa adult is normally a green-gray combination, but it can be all green or a mix of yellows, browns and oranges, depending where on the island the snake resides. Those in eastern parts are the green-gray shades while the snakes living on the western side of the island are the other colors. The average adult is between 4 and 5 feet long, but some range from 6 to 8 feet.
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Hunting
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The boa spends its day in hiding, although you may sometimes encounter one basking itself on the branch of a tree. The snake makes nocturnal hunts, taking advantage of the special heat-seeking pits close to its mouth that enable it to detect the body heat of a potential victim. The snake lacks any venom, so it presents no danger to humans with the exception of a painful bite if you attempt to handle one.
Reproduction
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The skin on a pregnant Madagascan tree boa becomes quite dark, a trait that biologists think allows the mother to absorb more heat, which the live young inside her require. The skin color changes back to its original shade once the babies arrive. The young are a bright red, with one theory proposing that the red lets them blend into the surrounding flowers that grow in the colorful trees. The entire pregnancy can take as long as six months, and the young will be about 15 inches in length.
Mating Fights
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The males will engage in fights during the mating season as they vie for a female tree boa's attention. These fights involve the male going up into a tree and then gaining a purchase around a branch with its lower coils. Once anchored in this manner, the male snake has the upper half of its body free to battle another male with.
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