Endangered Species: Boa constrictor
Submitted by:  Chameleon, Grade 5
Christiansburg Elementary
Cristiansburg, VA, USA
Rosy Boa Constrictor
Why Study This Topic? What Was Already Known Search for Information Description of Plant or Animal Habitat Requirements
Adaptations Reasons for Endangerment Restoration Actions What Was Learned Conclusions from Research

Why Study This Topic?

    I want to find out what the Boa constrictor eats, how long its life span
is, and how many species there are of Boa constrictor.  I also want to find out how
long this reptile is and how heavy it is when it's first born.  I want to find out which Boa
weighs the most. I also want to find out where most Boas live in South America and I also
want to find out what shape Boas are.  I want to find out what family Boas belong to.
I want to find out how Boas attack their prey.
    `I am interested in this animal because I want everyone to know about
the Boa constrictor and how they can save the Boa constrictor from extinction.   I want my future children and grandchildren to see a Boa in the zoo or in
the wild.  I want to tell  everyone how to care for Boa constrictors, and how they
can save it  and all the endangered animals I am also interested in,  including
snakes.

What Was Already Known

    Before I started research I knew the animal was a snake and it doesn't have arm's.
I also knew that the animal lay's soft egg's. I also knew that Boa constrictors are safe
when they get used to you. I also knew that the Boa constictor slithers and doesn't
walk. And I knew that the Boa constrictor squeezes it's prey to death and swallows them
whole. I also knew they live in Brazil and other parts of South America but mostly in
Brazil because  the Amazon rain forest is in Brazil. The reason for the Boa constrictor's
endangerment is hunters hunting them and not having enough adult Boa's they can't make
enough young. With their short  life span  they die off quickly.

Search for Information

    The first place I searched for information on the Boa constrictor was the Internet.
The places I searched on the Internet was ehostweb1, petsuport. I also looked at
''Thunder'' and at Yahoo and Yahooligans. Some of the other places I looked
was both the public and school libraries.    One of the problems I encounterd was
on Yahoo, it showed me the same thing more than once, and the printer messed
up. Yahooligans showed alot more care sheets than information.
 

Description of Animal

    The Boa constrictor grows to be at least twenty feet long. Babies start out to be three feet long, or one and six meters long. The Boa constrictor's head is special, because  it has brilles instead of eye lids, it also has two small sensor holes located directly above its lips.  These help the boa's poor eyesight.  They also help tell the boa how hot it is.  Its' color depends on its family.  Boa constrictors also have prehensile tails which means they can grab things with their tails. Boas, being blind, must sense their prey. Boas have up to 30 brothers and sisters.

Habitat Requirements
    These are what the Boa constrictor eats: mice, birds, lizards, and frogs.
The Boa constrictor lives mostly in Brazil but they also live in Eurasia.
 If a Boa constrictor is bitten by its' prey it has a good chance of death.

Adaptations

       The Boa constrictor is vary interesting animal because its' predator become its'
prey. When it's a child its' predators are coatis, hawks, caimans, and wild pigs. it's
prey are mice, birds, lizards, and frogs. When they become an adult they prey on monkeys,
capybaras, coatis, agoutis, caimans, and wild pigs. When the Boa constrictor finds its
prey they swallow them whole. The Boa constrictor may wait five to ten weeks before eating again. The Boa constrictor is camouflaged to protected from predators.    The   Boa constrictor has very rough skin, and it sheds its skin a lot. When it sheds its skin, it grows.  Its teeth are meant to cut meat.

Reasons for Endangerment

    The reson the Boa constrictor is endangered because its  lost its habitat. People are cutting down the rainforest and polluting the rivers  where the Boa constrictor lives.         Another reason for its endangerment is people hunting it,  some for its skins and some out of fear.

Restoration Actions

    Some of the actions the government have taken to save the Boa constrictor
is to try and stop people from cutting down trees,  and from killing the Boa constrictor.
Some of the reasons people kill Boa constrictors are because they want the its skin and some people kill it out of fear.

What Was Learned

    I learned that the Boa constrictor doesn't attack if he knows you. I also found out
how long the Boa constrictor lives, and how long the Boa constrictor is in length. I also
know how much the Boa constrictor weighs, and I learned where it lives and what
color it is. I also found out what prey it eats.

 Bibliography

http://ehostweb1.epnet.com/sas/ful...
http://www.petsupport.com/REPTILES
 
 


 


left arrow Return to Reptile page.

If you would like to add to these Endangered Species
pages then email your contributions to Christiansburg Elementary

© copyright 2000

Cristiansburg Elementary
Last updated on February 2, 2000