''Acrantophis dumerili'', commonly known as Dumeril's boa, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of non-

venomous snake ''Venomous snakes'' are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Boidae The Boidae, commonly known as boas or boids, are a family of nonvenomous snakes primarily found in the Americas, as well as Africa, Europe, Asia, and some Pacific islands. Boas include some of the world's largest snakes, with the green anaconda ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. No

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

are currently recognized.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''dumerili'', is in honor of

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

André Marie Constant Duméril André Marie Constant Duméril (1 January 1774 – 14 August 1860) was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the National Museum of Natural History (France), Muséum national d'histoire naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became pr ...

Description

Adults of ''A. dumerili'' usually grow to 6.5 feet (2 m) in total length (including tail)Burnie, David; Wilson, Don E. (editors-in-chief) (2001). ''Animal''. London: Dorling Kindersley. 624 pp. . with the maximum reported to be 8 foot, 6 inches (259 cm). Males usually have longer skinnier tails, while females tend to be larger overall. The color pattern consists of a gray-brown ground color with darker patches, forming an effective

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

against the leaf litter of the forest floor of their native habitat. Acrantophis dumerili.jpg Boa dumerili 01.jpg, in

London Zoo London Zoo, previously known as ZSL London Zoo or London Zoological Gardens and sometimes called Regent's Park Zoo, is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828 and was originally intended to be used as a colle ...

Dumeril's Madagascar ground boa (Acrantophis dumerili) male head Isalo.jpg, in

Isalo National Park Isalo National Park is a National Park in the Ihorombe Region of Madagascar, in the southwestern corner of the Province of Fianarantsoa. The closest town is Ranohira, and the closest cities are Toliara and Ihosy. It is a sandstone landscape that ...

Distribution and habitat

''A. dumerili'' is found on

. The type locality given in the original description is "''Amérique mérid.'' ?", which is later given as "?" by Jan (1863). Along the western coast and southwestern regions of Madagascar, it is found in a semi-arid habitat that gets fairly low amounts of precipitation. Durmeril Ground Boa’s live in semi-arid forest along the western to southwestern parts of Madagascar. Their habitats consist of leaf litter, loose dirt, and rocky terrain for camouflage. When needed, these snakes will use burrows made from other animals as a shelter.

Feeding

The

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

of ''A. dumerili'' consists of small animals, such as birds, lizards, and small mammals, including juvenile lemurs. It is also known to prey on other snakes. These snakes are opportunistic feeders that may hunt during the day or at night. They can also be found on the ground floor or in trees when hunting (Raxworthy 2003; Vences and Glaw 2003; Gardner et al. 2017). They have been found to have toads, insects, and indigestible plants, as well as detritus in their stomach. These were all either eaten in the process of hunting another animal or were in the stomach of the animal that they consumed (Pendlebury 1974). They will use their muscular body type to constrict their prey prior to consumption. Although they can reach to be 6-8 feet in length, they typically are more docile creatures and will continue to eat smaller animals and amphibians.

Reproduction

In ''A. dumerili'' sexual maturity is reached within 3 to 5 years of age. Males have

anal spurs Pelvic spurs (also known as vestigial legs) are external protrusions found around the cloaca in certain superfamilies of snakes belonging to the greater infraorder ''Alethinophidia''.Pough, F. H. (Ed.). (2004). ''Herpetology'' (3rd ed). Prentice ...

, which are used in courtship. The mating season is March through May, and the young are born some 6 to 8 months later.

Ovoviviparous Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparity, oviparous and live-bearing viviparity, viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develo ...

, females give birth to a litters of 6-28. Neonates are 12-18 inches (30–46 cm) long.

Conservation status

The species ''A. dumerili'' is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

Red List for the following criteria: A1cd (v2.3, 1994). This means that a population reduction of at least 20% has been observed, estimated, inferred or suspected over the last 10 years or three generations, whichever is the longer, based on a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and/or quality of habitat, and based on actual or potential levels of exploitation. The species was last assessed in 2011. ''A. dumerili'' is also listed as

CITES CITES (shorter acronym for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of inte ...

Appendix I, which means that it is threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for example for scientific research.''Acrantophis dumerili''
a
CITES
an
United Nations Environment Programme / World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Accessed 10 July 2008. It is threatened by deforestation and human persecution. In some areas it is feared and often killed on sight. Although some native lore would relate stories of the souls of the tribes ancestors being in the snake skins, because patterns of faces on the sides of the snakes are interpreted, making them religiously sacred and therefore not dangerous to some cultures.

Captivity

Once exported from

in great numbers, trade in ''A. dumerili'' has since been heavily restricted. The species is, however, quite prolific in captivity, and captive bred individuals are easy to find in the

exotic pet An exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a Wild animal, wild species rather than as a Domesticated animal, domesticated pet. The definition varies by culture, location, and over time—as an ...

trade. Though its size makes it more suited to someone experienced with large constrictors, it has a typically docile nature, and readily feeds on rats. The main concern is that it is prone to stress, which can sometimes cause it to stop eating or can contribute to other health issues.

References

External links

* {{Species_named_after_A.M.C._Duméril Boinae Reptiles of Madagascar Reptiles described in 1860 Taxa named by Giorgio Jan