What is the difference between a boa constrictor and a python? Main differences

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Those who are interested in wildlife in general and snakes in particular will probably be interested to know how a boa constrictor differs from a python. These snakes are often confused, but not only a narrow specialist - a serpentologist - will be able to learn to distinguish them from each other. Despite the large number of similarities, there are many well-defined differences.

Who's who

First, let's deal with the classification. The boa constrictor and the python are relatives, but not so close. Both snakes belong to the order Scaly. The boa constrictor belongs to the False-legged family, and the python belongs to the Python family.

So, this is the first answer to the question of how a python differs from a boa constrictor: snakes belong to different families. The species diversity in both cases is quite large. Modern scientists have about 40 species of pythons and at least 60 species of boas, among which is one of the largest snakes on the planet - the anaconda.

Habitat

These snakes are not found in nature. Pythons live mainly in the Old World: inAfrica, Indochina, the Philippine Islands, Australia and Indonesia. Boas mainly live in the New World - in Latin America. But there are exceptions: some species inhabit the islands of New Guinea, Madagascar and Fiji.

Habitat - answer number 2 to the question of how a boa constrictor differs from a python. But here it should be remembered that, despite the different geography, the habitat of these snakes is similar. Both boas and pythons like to hide from human eyes in thickets and thickets; there are woody species (usually colored green) and earthen (brown, brown, pockmarked).

Eyes and teeth

The most obvious and noticeable difference between a boa constrictor and a python lies in the structure of the skull. The python has a supraorbital ossicle, while its Latin American cousin lacks it.

Of course, not everyone who is looking for an answer to the question of how a boa constrictor differs from a python will dare to look into the mouth of a living snake. But one of the differences lies precisely there. If you find that the snake under study is toothless, you can confidently declare that you have a boa constrictor in front of you. All pythons have teeth on their premaxillae with which they can cling to flesh. Among the family of prolegs, there are many species that are completely devoid of teeth, but there are also toothy ones.

Note that neither pythons nor boas can chew. Their teeth are just hooks with which they are held on the carcass of a captured animal. Representatives of both families do not grind food before swallowing, as humans do. The snakes just open their mouths wider and put on the unfortunatesacrifice.

Neither boas nor pythons have poisonous glands. Accordingly, poisonous teeth equipped with tubules for introducing a secret into the flesh are also absent.

Building

Few people know, but some snakes in the process of evolution for some reason retained the rudiments of the bones of the girdle of the lower extremities. Boas and pythons are examples of this. But on this fact, the similarities end, the structure of the rudiments differs.

Male pythons have preserved rudiments of pelvic bones and tiny hook-like legs located on the sides of the anus. Of course, the limbs are not functional, even when climbing trees they are not used. Another feature that distinguishes the python from the boa constrictor is the preserved rudimentary bones in the hemipenis. With these processes, the male rubs the female during mating games.

The boa constrictor also has small rudimentary processes with remnants of bones located near the anus. They are more like not claws, like a python, but dried paws. Attached to the rudiments of the pelvic bones. Unlike the python, this trait is found in boas of both sexes.

Reproduction

All pythons lay eggs covered with a soft, leathery shell. Cubs are born from eggs. Boas carry eggs in the womb, during childbirth, fully formed living babies leave the womb of the female.

Summing up

So, we have determined that the boa constrictor and the python have almost more similar features than differences: they can live ontrees or on the ground, cannot chew, have rudiments of pelvic bones. But there are a number of differences.

Now you know the answer to the question of how the python differs from the boa constrictor, anaconda and other false legs.

Factor	Python	Boa constrictor
Presence of supraocular bones	+	–
Presence of teeth on premaxillary bones	+	–
Reproduction	Egg laying	Live birth
Reduced bones of the lower limb girdle	Pelvic bones, hooked limbs on the sides of the anus, hemipenis bones	Pelvic bones, paws on the sides of the anus
Area	Eastern Hemisphere	Western Hemisphere

Note that representatives of both species are under the protection of international funds. Many nations use the meat of these snakes for food, the skin is of interest for the leather goods industry (mostly python skin). Due to the threat of extermination, measures are being taken to preserve the number of populations in the wild.