Bruno, Jeffrey, Rupert & Rodney

We have royal pythons and boa constrictors.

Boa constrictors

Boa constrictors are found from northern Mexico to Argentina.

Of all the boas, this snake thrives in the most varied habitats. It lives in deserts, wet tropical forests, open savannah, and cultivated fields, and from sea level to moderate elevation. Boa constrictors are both terrestrial and arboreal.

In many parts of tropical America, Boa constrictor is valued as a destroyer of rodents. In some areas, these snakes have been domesticated for this reason.

Boa constrictors are not venomous, and instead have regular saliva. Venomous snakes have modified saliva, which is used to immobilise and digest prey.

Royal Pythons

The Royal Python name was brought about in part by Cleopatra who reportedly wore these beautiful snakes as bracelets on her wrists.

The Royal Python is also known as the Ball Python though this is more common outside of Europe. The origin of the 'Ball' name derives from their natural defence mechanism that when stressed, they will curl into a tight ball with their heads hidden inside and not move for long periods of time.

Ball Pythons are native to Central and Western Africa and are 'crepuscular', being most active at dusk and dawn. They tend to be found in grasslands or on the edge of the forests. They are known to be semi-arboreal, meaning they spend some of their time on the ground and some of their time in trees.

Mating usually requires a mild cooling or partial hibernation period. The average clutch size is 4 - 10 eggs and average incubation period is 90 days.