Its skin throws rainbow iridescence, produced by the microstructure of its scales.
From Rainbow Boa
Its iridescence is not pigment: microscopic ridges on the surface of the scales diffract the light like a prism, breaking it into every colour of the spectrum. In direct sunlight the snake looks as though it were covered in oil on water.
From Rainbow Boa
The effect is only visible in individuals whose skin is in good condition, and it disappears just before a moult, when the outer layer turns opaque.
From Rainbow Boa
It kills by constriction, feeding on small and medium-sized mammals, birds and lizards.
From Red-tailed Boa
It has vestigial pelvic spurs, evolutionary remnants of its lizard ancestors' hind legs.
From Red-tailed Boa
It is ovoviviparous: the young are born live and completely independent, measuring 38 to 60 cm.
From Red-tailed Boa
It is an unwitting ally against rats: much of its diet today consists of introduced rodents, and in the rural areas of the Dominican Republic where it is left alone it plays a considerable part in pest control.
From Hispaniola Boa
Direct persecution is its greatest threat: it is killed out of superstition and fear despite being completely harmless to people.
From Hispaniola Boa

Ecosystems