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CRITTERS of NORTH IDAHO This bitty boa is actually one of your neighbors

by Christian Ryan Special to
| April 24, 2018 1:00 AM

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Ryan

The boa constrictor and anaconda are members of a unique family of snakes known simply as the boas, and they’re commonly found in the swamps and rainforests hugging the Equator; this is because they are cold-blooded and require the sun’s heat to remain active. But did you know there is a boa living throughout the western United States and British Columbia?

The rubber boa (Charina bottae) is the most northern species of boa. They get their name from their smooth, scaly skin, which is said to look and feel a little like rubber. The rubber boa is much smaller than its southern cousins, like the anaconda, which can grow up to 29 feet long and weigh 550 pounds; by comparison, the rubber boa only grows 14-33 inches in length. Another thing that distinguishes the rubber boa from its cousins is its skin pattern: it is usually a varying shade of brown. This helps it to blend into its environment. As I’ve mentioned, this snake is found quite farther north than most snakes, most reptiles even, due to its unique ability to handle cooler temperatures.

While rubber boas are capable climbers and swimmers, they prefer to spend their time on land. They’re often found hidden in the leaf litter, in rock clefts, under logs or burrowing underground. As for specific habitat though, you’re likely to find rubber boas residing in coniferous forests and even dry alpine environments. How are these snakes able to survive harsh northern winters that would kill most reptiles? Well, like many other animals, they spend the winter months hibernating. This means that the biological processes in their body (including, but not limited to, heart rate) slow down, allowing the animals to use as little energy as possible and sleep the winter away.

These snakes aren’t often out and about, but when they are it is usually at night, because they’re nocturnal. Unfortunately, this is also when the predators of the rubber boa, like coyotes, raccoons, skunks, moles, cats, birds of prey and other snakes, come out to hunt. How is the little snake to survive such attacks? Unlike many other species of snakes, the rubber boa doesn’t strike as a defense mechanism (which makes it an unusually docile species). Instead, they curl up in a ball and expel a smelly substance that keeps many predators at bay. Their docile nature makes these snakes perfect for helping you overcome a fear of snakes if you have one; there has never been a recorded case of a rubber boa biting a person (which is more than you can say for the rubber boa’s larger cousins!)

When they’re not hiding in a burrow or being hunted, rubber boas are predators themselves. The rubber boa’s small size restricts it to smaller prey, namely small mammals, lizards, snake eggs and baby birds. Like other members of their family, these snakes don’t use venom to kill their prey. They are constrictors, meaning they will grab their prey in their mouths before wrapping it within their coils. It was once thought that constrictors did this to suffocate their prey, but newer research has shown that their prey dies much more quickly than suffocation would allow; it is now believed that the snakes squeeze their prey in order to prevent their heart from pumping, essentially giving them a heart attack.

They especially love to eat baby rodents. This is why they often wait for mother rodents (e.g. mice, shrews and voles) to leave their nesting dens and slither in to begin consuming the baby rodents. Looking at a rubber boa, you may notice that its tail is unusually blunt and often scarred. If the mother rodent returns before the snake has finished, the snake uses its blunt tail to deflect the attacks of the mother rodent. As sad as this type of behavior may seem, consider the alternative: without rubber boas and other predators eating rodents, they would multiply like … well, rodents. They would quickly overrun the entire ecosystem, eating the food other animals need to survive and causing the eventual extinction of that ecosystem.

Whether you absolutely love or hate snakes like the rubber boa, remember the important role they play in nature.

HOMESCHOOL PROJECT

Write the snake anatomy vocabulary words on a sheet of paper. Study the definitions as well as the picture of the snake anatomy. Choose either project to complete:

1. Draw a picture of the anatomy of a snake. Make sure to label the parts as in the example.

2. Use homemade clay to make a snake anatomy model. See clay recipe below.

How to Make Homemade Baking Clay

This is a very simple “NON-TOXIC” clay recipe using ingredients that you have in your kitchen.

Ingredients

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Salt

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

¾ to 1 Cup Water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250°F

Mix the flour and salt together, in a bowl.

Add the oil, then slowly add the water. Stir until you get the consistency of clay.

Note: Be careful not to make the clay too thick or it will crack while baking.

After the mixing is complete, make your desired shapes.

Bake the clay for approximately one hour.

The time may vary depending on your oven and the thickness of your clay. Should you need to bake it longer, make sure you do not burn it. You just want to be sure the clay is hard.

Optional

For color, before your clay has been baked, add homemade natural food dye from herbs, spices and powdered fruits and veggies.

For a gloss finish using natural food dye, paint the clay with egg yolk before placing in the oven.

For color, after your clay has been baked, paint it with a non-toxic acrylic paint. This will give the clay a gloss finish.

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Homeschool Project Provided by: angel dominiq

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Christian Ryan is a newcomer to North Idaho and an animal enthusiast. Email: animaladventures1314@gmail.com