Colombian rainbow boa

Scientific name: Epicrates cenchria maurus

Country: French Guyana, Brazil, Surinam, Venezuela

Continent: South America

Diet: Birds, reptiles, small mammals. In the Zoo they are given dead rats.

Food & feeding: Carnivore

Habitats: Tropical rainforest

Conservation status: Not Threatened

Relatives: Amethystine python, anaconda

Description: Its name comes from the iridescent sheen over its body, which is particularly noticeable in sunlight. The general body colour is dull brown with darkish markings. These snakes are not venomous and use the teeth only to grip their prey as they swallow. Boas have solid teeth that are fused to the jawbone (unlike many venomous snakes that have hinged hollow fangs). The teeth are shed periodically and are replaced by new ones present on the inner sides of the jaws. Rainbow boas grow to about two metres in length.

Lifestyle: The rainbow boa is a ground-dwelling snake, which favours the edges of forests and rocky areas. They are active at dawn and dusk and feed on small mammals, birds and lizards. They feed by grabbing their prey and wrapping their body around, two or three times, before constricting. Each time the prey exhales, the boa will squeeze harder preventing the ribs, diaphragm, lungs and heart from functioning. The prey eventually suffocates.

Family & friends: Like most snakes, rainbow boas are solitary.

Growing Up: Like the majority of boas, the females give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Rainbow boas breed annually, giving birth to 12-15 young at a time. Mating occurs in the autumn and the gestation period is about six months. The young start to feed on young mice at about 10 days.

Snakes have relatively poor eyesight. However, with tongue flicks, they can pick up small airborne particles, which are analyzed by the Jacobson's organ, located in the roof of the mouth. This helps snakes 'smell' their surroundings.