Madagascar Ground Boa

(Aglyptodactylus laticeps)
Type +eptile ,iet -arnivore .i)e /01 2 301 cm Weight not recorded

This beautifully patterned boa constrictor is Madagascars largest, non-poisonous snake. With diamond-like markings on its back, in subtle shades of brown and orange, this species is perfectly camouflaged in the leafy environment of the forest floorhttp !!www.arkive.org!madagascar-ground-boa!acrantophis-madagascariensis!glossaryand-references.html - reference"#. $t lives in %orthern and Western Madagascar in lowland open woodlands, often close to water. $t shelters in mammal burrows, fallen trees, debris piles and similar sites that offer some protection. They hibernate during the cool and dry winter months, usually May through &uly. 'oa constrictors kill their prey by coiling their body around the victim and suffocating it to death, before stretching their (aw to swallow it whole. They possess heat sensory organs that allow them to hunt, or to detect danger, even in the dark. The diet in the wild consists of birds, chickens, li)ards, rats and a variety of other mammals. The Madagascar *round 'oa is threatened by deforestation, human population growth, and agricultural and industrial development.

Main threats