Southern Madagascar boa
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Southern Madagascar boa ( Acrantophis dumerili ) |
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| Acrantophis dumerili | ||||||||||||
| Jan , 1860 |
The acrantophis dumerili ( Acrantophis dumerili ), Dumeril Boa , or Dumeril Madagaskarboa is an on Madagascar -based snake of the genus of acrantophis ( Acrantophis ) in the family of Boas (boidae). It is ground-dwelling and active at twilight and night.
description
The basic color of the southern Madagascar boa varies between red-brown and beige to gray-brown. Black spots and lines that are irregularly distributed over the entire body form the drawing of the animals. The head is clearly separated from the slightly stocky body and the pupils are slit vertically. The tail is short, next to the cloaca are the dorsal spurs . The total length averages between 150 and 180 cm. However, a length of 220 cm was already measured, whereby such large animals are probably the exception. The southern Madagascar boa remains a little smaller than its sister species, the northern Madagascar boa, and it is also a little less stocky and a little darker in color than this one. As with most snake species, the females become somewhat larger and heavier than the males.
distribution and habitat
Distribution area
In addition to the island of Madagascar, she also inhabits the nearby Mascarene Islands . The habitats of these animals are partly the dry and hot areas in the south and south-west of Madagascar, where they can only be found near waterways and rivers. The much larger distribution area extends over the southern rainforests of the island.
climate
Like many other snake species, the southern Madagascar boa also needs a relatively high level of humidity . In the rainforest areas this is around 65 to 75 percent during the day and increases to 85 to 95 percent at night. It is mainly hot days and nights when the temperature hardly drops that determine the natural climate of these snakes. The daytime temperatures rise to around 28 degrees Celsius, which should also be the optimal temperature range for these snakes. In the dry areas in the south, only about 300 to 500 mm of rain falls in summer, so the species can always be found near water.
Way of life
The southern Madagascar boa is a crepuscular and nocturnal ambulance hunter . This means that the animals do not actively hunt, but only stick their heads out of a hiding place, well camouflaged. Now they wait patiently for a prey to enter the bite area. This is packed in a flash and suffocated in the typical stranglehold. During the day, the animals usually hide under thick leaves, or they crawl into remote caves and wait for dawn. The young animals are still very good climbers, but this ability slowly develops with increasing age. Then they rarely climb around on trees or bushes, which is probably also due to the considerable size and consequently the high weight of the animals. The southern Madagascar boa spends almost the entire time of its life on the ground in old age, where it usually hides in the dry leaves. It hibernates during the cool and dry season from May to July. After awakening, the females start looking for a suitable sexual partner. The mating season of the southern Madagascar boa extends roughly from September to the end of January. After a successful mating, the 6 to 17 young are born alive in six to seven months.
Systematics
The southern Madagascar boa was first described scientifically in 1860 and belongs to the boas family (Boidae). Here it is placed in the subfamily of the Sanziniinae. It is divided there together with the Northern Madagascar boa ( Acrantophis madagascariensis ) into the genus of Madagascar boas.
See also systematics of snakes
Protection status
Since the natural habitat of the animals on the island is severely disturbed and is also being destroyed to an ever greater extent, this species has been heavily protected. It was included in Appendix A of the Washington Convention on Species Protection and also enjoys the highest protection status as Appendix A of the European Species Protection Ordinance . This means that the southern Madagascar boa may not be kept in Germany without the approval of the competent authority . When the animals are transported, the approval of the responsible state authority must also be available; there is also a separate exhibition and marketing ban for wild specimens. Special provisions apply to imports and exports. A permit from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation must be available; in addition, the Federal Species Protection Ordinance stipulates that reptile species from Appendix A of the European Species Protection Ordinance must be labeled for the purpose of recognizing the animal. In the case of the southern Madagascar boa, the animals are accordingly to be identified with a microchip (transponder). But on the basis of an expert opinion that the DGHT prepared on behalf of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Federal Environment Ministry now believes that labeling using photo documentation is sufficient.
literature
- Friedrich-Wilhelm Henkel, Wolfgang Schmidt (ed.): Amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar, the Mascarene, Seychelles and Comoros. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 1995; ISBN 3-8001-7323-9
- Miguel Vences , Frank Glaw : Phylogeography, systematics and conservation status of boid snakes from Madagascar ( Sanzinia and Acrantophis ). In: Salamandra 39 (3/4), 2003; Pages 181-206. Full text (pdf; 1.2 MB)
Web links
- Acrantophis dumerili in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Madagascar Reptile & Amphibian Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved on 10 May, 2006.
- Acrantophis dumerili in The Reptile Database