Python and Boa differences?

[ssballow]

Besides geographical origin and color patterns is there anything, anatomically, different between the two families of snakes?

[Brewster320]

Pythons lay eggs, Most Boas have live young.(few exceptions)
Most Pythons have heat pits, Most Boas do not. (few exceptions)

[DavidG]

Boas also have several organ differences from any other snakes.

Brew, Which boas do not have labial pits? Not saying you're wrong, just can't think of any. Besides Rosy boas.

[CoolioTiffany]

Pythons: Have heat pits, have a lot of teeth, and lay eggs.
Boas: Do not have heat pits, have less teeth than pythons, and give live birth.

[CoolioTiffany]

Boas also have several organ differences from any other snakes.

Brew, Which boas do not have labial pits? Not saying you're wrong, just can't think of any. Besides Rosy boas.

My Dumeril's boa doesn't have heat pits, and I don't think Red Tails have them either.. but I'm not sure which boas do and don't.. I always thought boas never had heat pits.

[Tikall]

Emerald tree boas, Amazon tree boas, and several other boas have heat pits.

[Brewster320]

Boas also have several organ differences from any other snakes.

Brew, Which boas do not have labial pits? Not saying you're wrong, just can't think of any. Besides Rosy boas.

Emerald tree boas, Amazon tree boas, and several other boas have heat pits.

Red Tails, Dumerils, Rainbow Boas, Anacondas, Sand Boas, Rosy Boas, Rubber Boas, Viper Boas and other closely related species lack heat pits. Its mainly the arboreal boas that have heat pits, I guess its a important adaptation for living in the trees. These snakes are the exception to the rule just like the woma and black head python are the exception to the rule with pythons, except its oppisite they don't have heat pits and most other pythons do!

[Hulihzack]

Red Tails, Dumerils, Rainbow Boas, Anacondas, Sand Boas, Rosy Boas, Rubber Boas, Viper Boas and other closely related species lack heat pits. Its mainly the arboreal boas that have heat pits, I guess its a important adaptation for living in the trees. These snakes are the exception to the rule just like the woma and black head python are the exception to the rule with pythons, except its oppisite they don't have heat pits and most other pythons do!

Pretty sure rainbows have pits. I don't know if we should really use that as a distinguishing factor between boas/pythons...there are way too many exceptions. And if you think boas have less teeth clearly you've never been tagged by a rainbow or amazon

[Brewster320]

I can't see any heat pits, unless what I'm looking for is different then the heat pits that pythons have, I could be wrong.

[redpython]

most boas are new world snakes, most pythons are old world.