Python and Boa differences?

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

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

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.

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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.

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

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Originally Posted by 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.

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Originally Posted by Tikall

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

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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!

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Originally Posted by Brewster320

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!

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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 :snake::O
:2cent:

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.
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...320/nopits.jpg

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

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Originally Posted by ssballow

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

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Laying eggs and geographical location (new versus old world) do not determine whether a snake is a boa or a python.

Difference between boas and pythons include:

(1) With one exception, boas do not have a supra-orbital bone. All pythons have this bone.

(2) Not all boas have labial pits and if they do, they are located between the labial scales. Pythons, on the other hand, have theirs centered on the labial scales.

(3) The premaxilla (an area of the jaw) of boas are without teeth, while the premaxilla of most pythons are toothed.

Can someone tell me what Boas sense there prey with if they dont have heat pits? Im sorry I am new to this snake stuff.

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Originally Posted by Gkwon

Can someone tell me what Boas sense there prey with if they dont have heat pits? Im sorry I am new to this snake stuff.

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Same way all other snakes without heat pits sense them. Their tounges and their eye sight. They might no have the best eye sight but they aren't completely blind.

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Originally Posted by Gkwon

Can someone tell me what Boas sense there prey with if they dont have heat pits? Im sorry I am new to this snake stuff.

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Actually yes, Boa Constrictors can still sense heat with heat receptive nerve endings in their facial scales. Some pythons, boas and pitvipers have heat pits which are simply more condensed and more functional versions of the same receptors.