Bismarck ringed python facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bismarck ringed python |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Pythonidae |
| Genus: | Bothrochilus Fitzinger, 1843 |
| Species: |
B. boa
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| Binomial name | |
| Bothrochilus boa (Schlegel, 1837)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Bismarck ringed python (Bothrochilus boa) is a cool type of snake that lives on the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. It's known for its interesting colors, especially when it's young! There are no different types (or subspecies) of this snake recognized.
Contents
About the Bismarck Ringed Python
These snakes can grow quite long, usually between 152 to 183 centimeters (about 5 to 6 feet). When they are young, they have really bright orange and black rings. This makes them look very striking! But as they get older, usually after about a year, these bright colors start to fade.
Adult Bismarck ringed pythons are often a shade of brown with black rings. Some might even be a uniform blackish-brown color. They usually have a light spot right behind their eye. Sometimes, their black rings might not be perfectly formed, or they might even be missing. A cool fact about their scales is that they are very iridescent. This means they can shimmer and change colors a bit in the light, like a rainbow!
Where They Live and What They Like
You can find the Bismarck ringed python on the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. This includes islands like Umboi, New Britain, Duke of York, New Ireland, and New Hanover Islands.
These snakes love to live in rain forests. They can be found in open areas or even places where people grow crops. They are often seen hiding in piles of coconut husks, which makes a great hiding spot for them!
How They Behave
The Bismarck ringed python is a nocturnal animal. This means they are most active at night, when they come out to hunt and explore. They are also fossorial, which means they like to spend a lot of their time underground or burrowed in soft soil and leaf litter.
What They Eat
Their main food is small rodents, like mice or rats. They are active hunters and will search for their prey. Sometimes, they even go into houses or farm buildings looking for food! Baby Bismarck ringed pythons, called hatchlings, eat smaller things. They usually start by eating lizards and very young rodents.
How They Have Babies
These snakes are egg-laying, which means the female snake lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. A female can lay up to about twelve eggs at a time. She often "broods" her eggs, which means she stays with them and protects them until they hatch.
Images for kids
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Close up of an adult Bismarck Ringed Python.
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Young BRP with its characteristic bright orange and jet-black coloration.
 | Anna J. Cooper |
 | Mary McLeod Bethune |
 | Lillie Mae Bradford |
