The Boidae family, the giant snakes, includes the world’s largest known snakes and some species that remain small.
For example, a Mexican dwarf boa only reaches a total length of approx—50 cm.
Among the approximately 74 knowns, the largest giant snake species are the green anaconda and the reticulated python and can be 7-10 meters long.
The largest snake ever measured was a reticulated python with a total length of 9.99 m.
A green anaconda was the heaviest specimen, 227 kg and a circumference of 1.11 m.
Within the family Boidae, a distinction is made between three subfamilies, the pythons, the boas, the sand boas, bolder snakes and pointed head pythons.
Boas mostly live in moist areas, but the dog-headed boa lives on trees and bushes and eats birds and lizards there.
The slim boa has already been spotted in crevices and stone piles, while the sand boa is native to Malagasy semi-deserts.
Boas are viviparous (ovoviviparous) and give birth after 6-10 months.
Stillborns are eaten immediately to protect the other cubs from attractive enemies.
Pythons can only be found in tropical regions from Africa to Australia and the Philippines.
Small species of pythons, such as the green tree python(see photo above), live mainly on trees, while larger ones live on the ground due to their body weight.
They hide in caves during the day to hunt prey at night.
Pythons lay eggs (oviparous) and, after about two months, deposit their clutch in a secure place to incubate the eggs there.
Giant snakes are not poisonous and colonize various habitats, across large parts of the world, in the tropics and subtropics.
They live in rainforests, mountain cloud forests, dry tropical forests, sandy and rocky deserts and coniferous forests.
Anacondas, for example, live exclusively on rivers, lakes, and swamp and floodplain areas.
The diet is very different and depends on the habitat and the respective size of the snake.
It is not for nothing that giant snakes are often referred to as strangler snakes.
They wrap their prey with tremendous force and suffocate it.
Then they eat the victim, which is swallowed whole.
Thus, they can also be dangerous for people because they cannot counter the enormous force and can suffocate if they are strangled.
In the terrarium hobby niche, giant snakes have been one of the best-known and most popular terrarium animals from the very beginning.
Before buying, however, you have to be clear about the size of a young animal one day and ask yourself whether you can even get a species-appropriate terrarium can put in his rooms.
Unfortunately, it happens repeatedly that owners do not get enough information and then, when it has gotten a little bigger, give up the animal again for space reasons.
Since a number of them reach a considerable body length and body mass, some specimens can be very aggressive, they are generally classified as dangerous wild animals, so that the owner, depending on the federal state, also registers his animal with the responsible municipality or city administration has to prove the required expertise, etc., while in other places, keeping them is completely prohibited.
The attitude must also be reported to the species protection authority under WA II.
Before purchasing, you should find out exactly which conditions are required, specifying the animal’s species, species, and origin.
All requirements must be met.
In some cases, corresponding regulations are only made for a certain genus, such as pythons.
According to the Washington Convention on Species Protection, giant snakes fall under the second part, WA II, or in the EU Species Protection Ordinance in Appendix B, which means that keeping them in principle does not require a permit, but must be reported to the responsible species protection authority and all documents about access and departures, as well as import documents, cites certificates or delivery confirmations of the breeder or keeper, must be kept and presented to the authorities when requested. According to the Animal Welfare Act, they are classified as dangerous animals, which must be registered with the local authority or even a permit for keeping must be granted.
Please inquire with the responsible authority before purchasing a giant snake!
