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Close up on the head of a Dumeril's boa

Boas and pythons

Pythons and boas are constrictors - snakes which kill their prey by suffocation rather than with venom. Pythons lay eggs whilst boas bear live young.

Scientific name: Boidae

Rank: Family

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Distribution

Map showing the distribution of the Boas and pythons taxa

The shading illustrates the diversity of this group - the darker the colour the greater the number of species. Data provided by WWF's Wildfinder.

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When they lived

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About

The Boidae are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and some Pacific Islands. Relatively primitive snakes, adults are medium to large in size, with females usually larger than the males. Two subfamilies, comprising eight genera and 43 species, are currently recognized.

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