Rough-scaled Sand Boa
β If you must speak ill of another, do not speak it, write it in the sand near the water's edge. β
β Napoleon Hill
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Boidae
Genius: Eryx
Species: Eryx conicus
Descendant: Boid
Named by: Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider
Year Published: 1801
Size: 99 cm (3 feet) long in length
Lifespan: 15β20+ years
Activity: Nocturnal π
Thermoregulate: Ectotherm
Type:Β
Reptiles (Boas)
Title: n/a
Pantheon: Terran/Gaian πΊπ³
Time Period: Holocene
Alignment: Good
Threat Level: β
Diet: Carnivorous π₯©πͺ²
Elements: Rock πͺ¨
Inflicts: n/a
Weaknesses: Water π, Rock πͺ¨, Leaf πΏ, Metal π©
Casualties: n/a
Based On: itself
Conservation Status: Near Threatened (NT) β IUCN Red ListΒ
The Rough-scaled sand boa or Russell's boa (Eryx conicus), is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. The species is endemic to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. There are no subspecies which are recognised as being valid.
Dorsally, the color pattern consists of a broad zigzag band or a series of dark brown blotches on a yellowish or brownish grey ground color. The belly is uniformly white. The anterior dorsal scales are only feebly keeled, but these keels increase in size posteriorly to the point that they become so heavily keeled that it can make a squirming specimen really painful to handle. This also makes it look as if the front and rear ends belong to markedly different animals.
Kenyan sand boa and all Old World sand boas are well known constrictors, killed by the swallowing from the snake.
It can be found close to human habitats including agricultural fields and gardens. It uses other species' burrows that allow it to ambush prey. It shelters in deep cracks, rat burrows and piles of rocks or bricks. It feeds on rodents, lizards, amphibians and ground feeding birds. Cannibalistic behavior has also been observed in this snake. It is a viviparous snake. The breeding season extends from November to January after which 6β8 young are born from May to August.
Rough-scaled sand boas are active at dusk and at night. These boas prey upon birds and small mammals, which it kills by constricting. The rough-scaled sand boa's color pattern frequently resembles that of the highly venomous Russell's viper, which some herpetologists believe is a case of Batesian mimicry.
Rough-scaled sand boa is friendly to humans and others, but hostile to smaller ones.
It is a common species in India, with population declines reported from its range in southern India. It is thought that illegal collectors have to put increasing efforts into collecting animals for trade as a consequence of its greater scarcity. The population status in Nepal is unclear. It was formerly common in agricultural areas, but now appears to be rare. Primarily nocturnal but is also active by day. It is found in varied habitat types from dry arid areas to areas where the annual rainfall is about 381 cm and the soil supports luxuriant vegetation.Β
Movement Pattern: Not Migrant
Individual Type: Solo
Population Trend: Decreasing
Population: ???
Locomotion: Amphibious
Habitat: Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests; Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Salt Flats; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests.
Earth:Β
Extant (Resident): Bangladesh; India (Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Jammu-Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttaranchal, Kerala, Chattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab); Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka
All boids are immediately domesticated when they hatch from an egg because the survivor is always within 17 radii of the hatching egg. If the boid snake isn't already trained, you can train it with a whip, worms, rat meat, seaweed-wrapped mice, or fish eggs.
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