Animal Information Natural Treasures Snakes
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1 Animal Information Natural Treasures Snakes Table of Contents Non-Venomous Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake………………………………………………………..2 Boa Constrictor……………………………………………………………………………..4 Emerald Tree Boa………………………………………………………….………………6 Tiger Ratsnake………………………………………………………….…………………..8 Amazon Tree Boa………………………………………………………………………….9 Brazilian Rainbow Boa…………………………………………………………………10 Black Ratsnake…………………………………………………………………………….11 Reticulated Python………………………………………………………………………12 Venomous Eyelash Palm Pitviper…………………………………………………………………..14 Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake…………………………………………………16 South American Bushmaster……………………………………………………….18 Brazilian Lancehead…………………………………………………………………….20 Mexican West Coast Rattlesnake…………………………………………………21 Timber Rattlesnake………………………………………………………………………22 Broad-banded Copperhead………………………………………………………….24 Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake 2 Lampropeltis pyromelana John Ball Zoo Habitat – Located in the Natural Treasures building. Individual Animals – 1 Female Unknown hatch date and location Arrived April 07, 2011 o From a private donor Life Expectancy Wild: data deficient Under managed care: up to 20 years Statistics Length – up to 43 inches Diet – Carnivore Wild – Lizards, rodents, birds, and bats Predators Raptors and mammals. Habitat Shrubland, rocky areas, and forests. Region Range extends discontinuously from east-central Nevada, central and western Utah, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico in the United States, to eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua, Mexico. Adaptations When threatened can release foul smelling musk and feces. Immune to rattlesnake venom. By closely imitating the colors of the Coral Snake, the Kingsnake can often scare off potential predators. o The image on the left is a Coral Snake. The black stripes are not touching the red stripes. The image on the right is a Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake, there are black stripes in between the red and white stripes. Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake 3 Lampropeltis pyromelana Reproduction Mating takes place in spring Oviparous: Lays eggs Clutch size: 3-6 eggs Eggs hatch 66-83 days after being lain. Behavior – Diurnal Forages mid-morning. Hibernates during the cold months of fall and winter. Conservation Concerns Urbanization and habitat destruction Roadside mortality The pet trade. Conservation Ask Be thoughtful while engaging and connecting with Nature o Participate in nature friendly behavior . Observe, don’t disturb wildlife . If you care, leave it there Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you make every day purchasing decisions o Choose your pets responsibly Boa Constrictor 4 Boa constrictor John Ball Zoo Habitat – located in the Natural Treasures building in a mixed species habitat with an Emerald Tree Boa and a Tiger Ratsnake. Individual Animals – 1 Undetermined – Athena Estimated Birth: Unknown o Birth location: Unknown Arrived February 19, 2015 o From: Private donor Life Expectancy Wild: 20 years Under Managed Care: 30-35 years Statistics Length – 6-13 feet Females tend to be larger than males Diet – Carnivore Wild – Birds, small mammals, reptiles, and eggs. Predators Numerous reptilian, avian, and mammalian predators such as Jaguars and Crocodiles. Habitat Rainforest clearings or edges, woodlands, grasslands, dry tropical forest, thorn scrub, and semi-desert regions. Region Range extends from northern Mexico through Central and South America. Reproduction – Polygynandrous – referring to males and females pairing with several different mates. Boa constrictors generally breed during the dry season, usually from April to August, though the timing of the dry season varies across their range. Most female boa constrictors do not appear to reproduce annually. Boa constrictors possess pelvic spurs which are hind leg remnants found on either side of the cloacal opening. They are used by males in courtship and are larger in males than in females. Males possess hemipenes, a double-penis, of which only one side is commonly used in mating. Gestation lasts for 5 to 8 months depending on local temperatures. Ovoviviparous – embryos develop within their mothers' bodies. The average litter has 25 young but can be anywhere from 10 to 64 young. Boa constrictor young are born fully developed and are independent within minutes of birth. Boa Constrictor 5 Boa constrictor Adaptations Lacks the heat-sensing pits that most snakes have. Rows of long, recurved teeth of about the same size that are continuously replaced. Boa Constrictors have spurs, or vestigial hind limbs, located on their abdomen. Their tongues flick continuously, bringing odor molecules into contact with the chemosensory (vomeronasal) organ in the top of their mouths. In this manner, they constantly sense chemical cues in their environment. Boa constrictors have good vision, even into the ultraviolet spectrum. Behavior – Solitary Can be either nocturnal or crepuscular. They periodically shed their skins (more frequently in juveniles than adults). o A lubricating substance is produced under the old skin layer. When this occurs, the snake's eye can be seen to cloud up as this substance comes between its eye and the old eye-covering. The cloudiness affects their vision and boas will often become inactive for several days until the shedding has completed and their vision is restored. During shedding, the skin splits over the snout and eventually peels back from the rest of the body. Boa constrictors are most often in trees or on the ground near streams and rivers. Conservation Concerns Boa constrictors are predators on birds and small mammals, including bats. They are important predators of rodents and opossums, especially, which can become pests in some areas and carry human diseases. Over collection for the pet trade and needless direct persecution has had an impact on their population. Conservation Ask Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you make every day purchasing decisions o Actions – Choose your pets responsibly Emerald Tree Boa 6 Corallus caninus John Ball Zoo Habitat – located in the Natural Treasures building in a mixed species habitat with a Boa Constrictor and a Tiger Ratsnake. Individual Animals – 1 Female – Esmeralda Estimated Birth: Unknown o Birth location: Unknown Arrived February 19, 2015 o From: Private donor Life Expectancy Wild: data deficient Under Managed Care: 15 years Statistics Length – up to 7 feet Females tend to be larger than males. Diet – Carnivore Wild – Mainly rodents, but also lizards, mammals, and possibly birds. Predators – Guianan crested eagles Habitat Rainforest canopy foliage, swamp forest, and along rivers. Region Northern Brazil, eastern Peru, southern Colombia, southern Venezuela, French Guiana, eastern Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana, and the extreme north of Bolivia. Reproduction Viviparous: live birth Gestation: 6-7 months. The average litter size: 10 Females do not provide care after birth. 7 Emerald Tree Boa Corallus caninus Behavior – Nocturnal Form an ellipsoidal coil with their bodies, with the head in the center. As ambush predators, they catch most prey by snatching them off the ground as they hang from these branches. Adaptations Emerald tree boas are cryptically colored and generally remain hidden in the foliage of trees. Emerald tree boas perceive prey primarily through sight and infrared heat receptors (pits) located in the labial scales. Elongated maxillary teeth longer than those belonging to other non-venomous snakes. Conservation Concerns Pet trade Local people generally kill this snake when encountered. Conservation Ask Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you make every day purchasing decisions o Actions – Choose your pets responsibly Tiger Ratsnake 8 Spilotes pullatus John Ball Zoo Habitat – located in the Natural Treasures building in a mixed species habitat with an Emerald Tree Boa and a Boa Constrictor. Individual Animals – 1 Undetermined – Athena Estimated Birth: June 2006 o Birth location: Unknown Arrived April 26, 2013 o From: Private donor Life Expectancy Wild: data deficient Under Managed Care: up to 15 years Statistics – One of the longest snakes in the Americas Length – up to 7 feet Diet – Carnivore Wild – Birds, small mammals, lizards, frogs, and snakes. Predators – No known predators. Habitat – Deserts and flooded forests. Region – Mexico through tropical South America. Reproduction Oviparous: lays eggs Clutch size: 8-14 eggs Offspring emerge 73-76 days after the eggs are laid. Adaptations Tongues aids in smelling prey. It is forked to help determine the direction in which the smell is coming. Behavior – Arboreal and Terrestrial Basks on large branches during the day. Conservation Concerns There is a stable population in the wild. This species is often kept as a pet, but can be dangerous. Conservation Ask Be mindful of wildlife and the environment as you make every day purchasing decisions o Actions – Choose your pets responsibly Amazon Tree Boa 9 Corallus hortulanus hortulanus John Ball Zoo Habitat – located in the Natural Treasures building in a mixed species habitat with Brazilian Rain Boas and Smoky Jungle Frogs. Individual Animals – 1 Female Estimated Birth: July 16, 2006 o Birth location: Private collection Arrived October 22, 2006 o From: Private donor Life Expectancy Wild: data deficient Under Managed Care: approx. 20 years Statistics – Length – 1.7-6.1 feet Diet – Carnivore Wild – birds, bats, frogs, rodents, lizards, and marsupials Predators Humans, Harpy eagles, and Saddleback tamarins Habitat – Forests and savannas Region