There are 3 main types of scales smooth, keeled and granular and each has a different hand-feel.īoas and pythons both have granular scales, which are the smoothest type of scales. Some snakes have smoother scales than others. Spurs are often more obvious in male snakes, and can sometimes be useful during combat.Ĭopeia stated that both male boas and pythons also use their spurs to grasp and position the female during mating. A snake’s spurs are basically small claws that are the last remains of what were once limbs. This is something that is not present in more evolved snake species.įurthermore, boas and pythons also have vestigial limbs known as “ spurs”. This is a hip bone that in the past was used to support rear legs. Have The Remnants of Hind LegsĪlthough they no longer have legs, both species of snake still have a pelvic girdle, according to Biological Reviews.

The skull density and rigid dentition in boas and pythons are just two examples of how each species has retained the same anatomical features associated with primitive snakes. Pythons and boas each have a heavy prey-crushing skull and somewhat rigid jaws with teeth that are both curved and slightly backward-facing to make it difficult for prey to escape. So, what anatomical similarities are there between the boa and the python? Heavy Skulls And Jaws with Fixed Teeth Let’s go a bit deeper and talk about the anatomy of these two snakes. Not only is the method by which they hunt thought to be primitive (constriction is an ancient prey-killing tactic among snakes), but they also have several anatomical features that harken back to their primitive ancestors. In anatomical and behavioral terms, both pythons and boa constrictors are considered to be primitive. Live in Similar Habitatsīoas are fairly widespread across the Americas, Africa,Īsia, and Australia and pythons are native to Africa, Asia, and Australia.Īlthough boas and pythons live in different parts of the world, both species inhabit a variety of habitats like swamps, grasslands, and deserts, though most are arboreal (tree-dwellers) that like to live in forests. Rather than injecting venom, boas, and pythons instead rely on a body of solid muscle to subdue, squeeze and suffocate their prey.īoth snakes are, therefore, non-venomous ambush predators that kill primarily by constriction. Female snakes are larger than male snakes.Īccording to Research Gate, both species are in fact among the largest and heaviest snakes in the world. Large SizeĪn obvious point to start with is that both boas and pythons are large, bulky and heavily built. You see, pythons and boa constrictors do belong to the same family of snakes (the Boidae family), and because of this, they have a lot in common. The main reason why people get confused between these 2 species of snake is because of the “family resemblance”, so to speak. There are only a handful of small differences between them. According to Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, these two species have been on separate evolutionary paths for quite some time.īut even the most argumentative herpetologist will agree that they are very similar. The short answer is no, technically they are not the same. 4 What’s The Difference between a Python And An Anaconda? Are Pythons And Boa Constrictors The Same?

Bow constrictor snake