Bothrochilus

Juvenile Bothrochilus boa, banded copy

The Bismarck - ring Python or Guinea - Dwarf Python ( Bothrochilus boa ) is the only species of the genus Bothrochilus from the family of pythons.

Features

The type is stocky built with a short, slightly contrasting from the neck head. There are two color versions: a plain brown with pale yellow belly and an orange brown-black with striped, banded or spotted pattern. In both varieties the head is dark brown to black with an occasional bright spot behind the eye. Adult animals are darker colored than the juveniles and reach a body length of 95 to 174 cm.

Squamation: The head carries a respective Loreal and Präokularschild, two or three Postokularschilde, a pair of prefrontal and two pairs of Parietalschilde. If a Interparietalschild exists, it is small. The fourth to sixth of nine to twelve Supralabialschilde touches the rim of the eyes. Infralabialschilde are 12 or 13 available. The hull has 24 to 39 scale rows, 245-267 Ventralschilde, 45 to 54 usually paired Subkaudalschilde and an undivided anal shield.

Dissemination and lifestyle

The Bismarck - ring Python is endemic to New Guinea, some surrounding islands, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Tokelau Islands. The nocturnal species inhabits moist forests, swamps and open terrain and keeps mainly to near the ground. When prey are small mammals and lizards. Mating takes place from December to April, the egg-laying from early March to mid-July. The clutch is incubated by the female.

Swell

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