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Common Sand Boa
Scientific Name: Eryx conicus
Nick Name: Sand Boa
Size:
Type: Non Venomous Snake
Appearance: Short but thick snake; speckle like scales very rough and bent tail; very attractive markings on the body.
Common sand boas are yellowish white to dark brown in coloration. On their back they posses markings which vary from reddish brown to black color. They look very much like the deadly Russell’s Viper but are totally non venomous and harmless. They can be easily distinguished from them based on the fact that the Russell’s viper has some what uniform and circular markings on its body.
Nature: They are very much nocturnal. They hunt at night. Like all the pythons they are ambush predators and prefer to stick our their neck and head out of the burrows where they live in during the night times and wait for the rats and mice to come in the striking range. They'll strike at a lighting speed. The snake does all this especially at dawn when it has enough chances to get hold of rats and birds.
They do not do anything if handled carefully, though they get scared when caught. They may bite. They are totally non venomous but the needle sharp teeth are meant to hold on to the prey.
Habitat: They prefer habitats like the sandy soil, crevices of large boulders and rat holes.
Distribution: They are found throughout India from the planes to the hilly regions with an exception of West Bengal and Assam.
Reproduction: Between May to June the female snake gives birth to around about 6-8 young ones. The young ones are miniature copies of the adult snakes but with a lot of glossy scales and a bright coloration. They resemble the saw scaled vipers at this stage.
Feeds on: Rats, birds, lizards and small mammals. The young ones feed on small insects during the earlier stages of their life.
Status: Though they are chief rodent controllers, the common sand boas are often hunted for their beautiful skin. They are branded as the 'baby pythons'.
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