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((Yes, these were taken off the net.))
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.
The African Bush Viper is one snake in the many genus of Atheris snakes deserving the Viper name. This snake is highly poisonous. Ambush predators, the many tree-swelling species of Bush Vipers are largely nocturnal hunters throughout the Rainforest and its bordering swamp and open woodland habitats. The Bush Viper, typically reaching lengths averaging just over 2 ft in length, has beautiful coloration ranging from pale greens to darker olive, brown or a rust color. Primarily arboreal, living in the tree top canopies, the African Bush Viper descends frequently to feed on small rodents, frogs & lizards. This snake often hunts by using its tail to hang from the low lying branches and waits for an unsuspecting target victim to make a meal!
The Sonoran whipsnake is most commonly found in rocky canyons, riparian areas, foothills and mountains with dense vegetation in elevations up to 6100 feet (1800 m). However, this snake is also found in open creosote bush flats. It is equally at home on the ground or in low, shrubby vegetation. Look for the Sonoran whipsnake in areas with ocotillos, saguaros, and palo verdes, but also in chaparral, cottonwood, juniper, and pine-oak forests
This fast-moving snake is primarily active in the early morning from March to October. When hunting, the Sonoran whipsnake may elevate its head off the ground and scan the surrounding area for possible prey. When a bird, lizard or frog is spotted, the snake will seize and swallow the prey without killing it first. Six to 13 eggs are laid in June and July.
 Scorn-san · Thu Nov 16, 2006 @ 01:08am · 0 Comments |
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