Bibron's bevel-nosed boa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bibron's bevel-nosed boa |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Candoia
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| Species: |
bibroni
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| Synonyms | |
Candoia bibroni, commonly known as Bibron's bevel-nosed boa, Bibron's keel-scaled boa, the Pacific tree boa, or the Fiji boa, is a boa species endemic to Melanesia and Polynesia. Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. Like all other boas, it is not venomous.
Etymology
The specific name, bibroni, is in honor of French herpetologist Gabriel Bibron.
Description
C. bibroni is the largest member of the genus Candoia; adults can grow to up to 5 ft /1.5 meters in total length (including the tail). The color pattern usually consists of a pale brown, tan, or reddish-brown ground color overlaid with stripes, blotches, or spots. However, some individuals have no pattern at all.
Geographic range
C. bibroni is found in Melanesia and Polynesia, including the eastern Solomon Islands (Olu Malau, Ugi, Rennell, Makira, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Bellona, Vanikoro and Utupua), the Banks Islands (Vanua Lava Island), Vanuatu, all three of the Loyalty Islands, the Fiji Islands (Rotuma, the Yasawa Group and the Lau Group), Western Samoa (Savaiʻi and Upolu Islands), and American Samoa (Taʻū Island).
The type locality given is "l'île Viti" (local name of Fiji Islands’ archipelago). Jacquinot and Guichenot (1853) list the type locality as "de l'archipel de Viti, Polynésie".
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of C. bibroni is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,600 m (5,200 ft).
Feeding
C. bibroni hunts for food both on the ground and in the trees, preying on birds, lizards, and mammals, including bats.
Reproduction
C. bibroni is viviparous.
Subspecies
| Subspecies | Taxon author | Common name | Geographic range |
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| C. b. australis | (Montrouzier, 1860) | Solomon Islands tree boa | Solomon Islands/Tonga Island |
| C. b. bibroni | (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844) | Pacific tree boa | the South Pacific Islands |
