Boa Vs. Phython

Boas and pythons are similar in appearance.

Boas and pythons are some of the largest snakes around and, although some movies portray them as evil, neither is venomous nor particularly interested in hunting down humans. That doesn't mean the largest of them are not able to eat pets and small children, especially with inexperienced owners who allow escape. The two snakes share many similarities with some minor differences in a lot of areas, and one major difference in the way they give birth.

Habitat

Both boas and pythons live in Africa and Madagascar, but their home regions differ from there. Boas hail from North America, Central America, South America, western Asia and the Pacific Islands. Pythons slink around Southeast Asia and Australia. Both snakes thrive in rain forests, swamps, woodlands, grasslands and savannas, while boas add semi-desert scrublands to their list of habitats.

Size and Appearance

Muscular and thick, boas and pythons can both grow to immense lengths. The largest boa is the anaconda, which can grow up to 30 feet and weigh some 280 lbs. The longest python, the reticulates, can reach 33 feet and about 350 lbs. Not every boa or python achieves such great lengths, with the shortest boas being the 16-inch Arabian and elegant sand boas and the shortest python being the 23-inch ant-hill python. Both snakes come with a variety of different markings and colorings, ranging from natural greens and browns to striking reds and blacks. Pythons have more teeth than boas and an additional bone in their heads.

Hunting

Both nab the prey through ambush hunting methods, which involve lying in wait and then pouncing on unsuspecting prey when it is least expected. The python is particularly talented at ambush hunting in water and will lie with its body submerged and head exposed, attacking small animals that come to the shore to drink. Most species of boas and pythons have special heat-sensitive scales near their mouths to detect potential prey. Prey for both boa and pythons includes everything from frogs, rats and other small mammals to monkeys, pigs, antelope and deer, depending on the size of the snake. The San Diego Zoo website notes researchers discovered a small leopard in the stomach of one rock python in the wild.

Feeding

Boas and pythons share similar tastes and traits when it comes to feeding time. Both snakes are constrictors, meaning they constrict around their prey to kill it before eating. Although the constricting maneuver is firm and tight, it does not crush their prey or break all its bones, but rather squeezes the prey tight enough that its lungs can no longer expand and the prey can no longer breathe. When it comes time to consume, both snakes unhinge their jaws and go for it, pulling the prey head first toward their stomachs with a series of muscular contractions. A special tube at the bottom of their mouths lets them breathe while their mouth is stuffed with their meal.

Live Young vs Eggs

The biggest difference between boas and pythons is the way they have their young. Unlike most snakes, boas give birth to live young, while pythons take the traditional track of laying eggs. A clear membrane protects the baby boas, one that forms in the boa mother's body and stays in place until they break out of it after birth. Python babies start out as eggs, which a python mother lays inside a nest and protect by coiling around them. Baby boas and pythons are on their own immediately after breaking out of their membrane or shell after birth, both harboring survival instincts that help them find food and hide from predators.

References

• San Diego Zoo: Animal Bytes: Boa
• San Diego Zoo: Animal Bytes: Python
• PetMD: Snake Bytes: Pythons