Most snakes don't do a lot. They'll maybe wander around a bit every day, but that's about it. That pretty much sums up a ball python's activity level, at any rate.

Not all boids have heat pits. Sand boas are missing them completely. I want to say that all pythons have them except for the genus Aspidities (womas). As far as other boas go, most have them except for snakes actually in the genus Boa (redtailed boas, ect). Also, some snakes in the genus Epicrates (rainbow boas) have them and others don't. Whether or not andacondas do escapes me right now.

So it's hit and miss.

I've read that the absence of heat pits in some of these snakes can be traced to the fact that they eat mostly cold blooded prey. That wouldn't go for Boa, though. Sand boas would just get sand in theirs if they had them.

Just as a side note, rattlesnakes and other pitvipers have similar structures, but they only have two pits at the front of their face.

Also, it's said that redtailed boas and some other snakes still have heat sensitive nerves in their faces, so they can feel heat even without pits. I can vouch that sand boas sometimes prefer warm over cold prey, without actually touching it.
-----
Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.

Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

[ Hide Replies ]

• ball information - nimdu, Mon Dec 1 19:58:08 2003
• RE: ball information - meretseger, Tue Dec 2 01:17:10 2003