Why do boas have red tails?

[Scales Zoo]

We've been taking our surinam boa to educational shows, and we constantly are asked why they change colour at the tails.

I don't think I've ever read this anywhere?

Other snakes that have changes in colors of tails for caudal luring have just a portion of their tails a different colour.

I can't see any benefit as far as camouflage, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

I'm looking for an answer that has been published and accepted rather than other peoples speculations - but feel free to throw some ideas out there.

Ryan

[maiden_canada]

thats a good question, it seems logical that they might use it as a lure, but what rodent wants to eat a 2foot long red thing?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Caudal luring.

[Scales Zoo]

Do boas use the whole of the red part as a lure, because if so, I am not sure of any other snake that uses this much of their tail as a lure? I doubt they do, which is why it is curious to me. Why would they have that much red up their body, rather than just the last couple of inches?

Many other snakes that caudal lure don't have a different colored tail.

Thanks for your input Jeffy.

Ryan

[Scales Zoo]

Originally posted by maiden_canada
but what rodent wants to eat a 2foot long red thing?

Maybe a cat, wild pigs, capybara? I don't know either, that was the one thing that I wondered about most.

I read that capybara's are found more in the amazon basin and brazil than other places, maybe that is why "red tailed boas" have a more pronounced red coloring than bci.

I wonder if there is a paper on this, or how one would find out. The net (other than this site of course!) has not produced much "good information".

Ryan

[Jeff_Favelle]

Why are they brown? Why do they get 6-10 feet long? Why do they have the strip/mask from the nose through the eye? Why can't they fly, why why why.......heh heh.

I don't think those questions can really be answered. The general "its for camouflage" usually applies, but beyond that is just a guess by unqualified peoples.


o>

[Scotty Allen]

Because they would look funny if they were fuschia?

[marisa]

Maybe its to warn predators off with the color like some other animals do? haha sorry, 100% shot in the dark thrown out uneducated guess here. lol

Marisa

[Scales Zoo]

Jeff, your right about the just the guess part, and that was my answer to people who asked "some people think they use it for caudal luring".

If we never asked questions, man would not learn anything.

The strip through the eye you asked about, I believe is used to camouflage their eyes to not be as noticeable in leaf litter.

Ryan

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Scales Zoo
The strip through the eye you asked about, I believe is used to camouflage their eyes to not be as noticeable in leaf litter.

Hmph. And here I thought it was so they could look cool like Zorro. I'll never look at boas the same ever again. Hmph.

I'm reminded of the study you told us about at the TARAS show re: Why when birds migrate, the V that they form is uneven. Scientists spent several years and millions of dollars and determined that it was because there were more birds on one side of the V.

Same applies here. Scientists have determined that boa constrictors have red tails because there are more red scales in that particular part of their body.

[Chair]

Hmmm Invicus, I wonder if you're right about that Zorro thing?
Before I read that I always thought that the stripe through the eye was to atract the sun away from the eye like a football player that puts black makeup under his eye.

[Invictus]

Silly chair... snakes don't have fingers. They can't apply shoe polish to their face like football players can. Pfffff....

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL!

[daver676]

Originally posted by Chair
Before I read that I always thought that the stripe through the eye was to atract the sun away from the eye like a football player that puts black makeup under his eye.

Now THAT is something to think about.

LOL @ Invictus!