Candoia bibroni

Pacific tree boa ( Candoia bibroni )

The Pacific boa ( Candoia bibroni ) is a species of snake in the family of boas ( Boidae ), where it is in the subfamily of the boa snakes ( Boinae ) classified. The Pacific boa occurs in two subspecies, and lives in the rainforests and wetlands Serams, Melanesia and Polynesia.

Features

Pacific tree boas reach an average body length of 1.25 meters, sometimes up to two meters. The head is large, triangular and clearly deducted from the neck. The eye is small, sloping snout and the front teeth are extended.

Color and pattern vary greatly between different individuals, and also subject to a physiological color change throughout the day, the animals stained significantly brighter in the morning appear to be in the afternoon and at night. The basic color is brown with reddish tinted flanks often. Occur as a pattern on chocolate brown to black spots on the back and flanks. Top of the head and temples are mostly dark with light speckles. The belly is porcelain -colored with dark spots in the rear area and a narrow light - dark banding on the tail base.

Males have prolonged after- spurs, which are absent in the females or are only weakly developed.

Dissemination

The nominate (C. bibroni bibroni ) can be found in the Fiji, Banks, loyalty and Society Islands and Tonga, while the subspecies (C. bibroni australis) in the Solomon Islands, Seram, Jamna, the Bismarck Archipelago, the island Woodlark, the Solomon Islands, the Santa Cruz Islands and Samoa occurs.

Way of life

The Pacific boa populated tropical wetlands and mangrove forests, and occasionally cultural terrain. It is mainly arboreal and nocturnal. The prey spectrum is broad and includes, depending on body size, lizards, birds and small mammals such as bats and rodents.

Young are born alive in litters of about 20 animals with a length of 30 to 35 centimeters.

Swell

• Ludwig Trutnau: Non-toxic snakes, Part 1 4th edition. Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3223-0.