They might also burrow themselves into their substrate. Even though they are good swimmers, they would rather spend time on dry land or hanging in a tree. They are also nocturnal, although they do come out occasionally during the day to sun themselves. Personalityīoa constrictors are solitary animals and enjoy keeping to themselves as much as possible. Once out, the young are left to fend for themselves. The snake eggs hatch while still inside the mother, who then gives birth to live babies.

The boa females hold their eggs inside their bodies, where they also incubate them. Unlike pythons, boas are ovoviviparous, meaning that they do not lay eggs. Wild boas eat birds, pigs, and even monkeys when they’re lucky enough to catch one. They also eat nearly anything put in front of them. However, their teeth are hooked to help them latch onto their prey while they squeeze them. These snakes have smaller heads with fewer teeth and bones inside. They aren’t aggressive towards their handlers, but they are a lot more likely to defend themselves when they feel threatened as opposed to shying away from a fight. They can be red, tan, green, yellow, or have patterns with jagged lines, diamonds, and circles.īoas are a lot more active than pythons. These snakes are close cousins to anacondas and are excellent swimmers, even though they prefer to stay dry when they can. They make excellent pets because they aren’t aggressive and don’t wiggle around too much when holding them.īoa Overview Image Credit: Sean Blasko, ShutterstockĮven though a boa constrictor is usually smaller than many other python species, they tend to grow much larger when in captivity. Pythons prefer to spend their days in a docile state and shying away from too much commotion. Pythons are a little more afraid of confrontation than boa constrictors. This categorizes pythons as oviparous snakes. To reproduce, pythons must lay eggs and lay on them to incubate them until they are ready to hatch. Pythons also have the ability to sense heat using pits along their lips to detect even the tiniest differences when hunting warm-blooded prey.

Even though most snakes only have one lung, both pythons and boas have two. Pythons have more bones in their head and a pair of upper jaw bones containing teeth. One of the biggest differences between pythons and boas is their anatomy. Some pythons have elaborate patterns, and others are solid colors like brown or bright green. The size and coloration of these snakes can vary depending on their natural habitats. The python family contains some of the biggest snakes in the world, topping out at over 33 feet long. Although pythons are similar to boas in that they constrict their bodies around their prey to kill them, they are two different species with distinctive characteristics. The name python refers to both the Pythonidae family and the Python genus. Pythons are considered animals from the Old World. Python Overview Image Credit: Jodi Erickso, ShutterstockĪlthough the idea of a large snake scares quite a few people, there are a few who don’t shy away from these unique animals.

Albino boa constrictor python