Raining hammer blows on the snakes is thought to calm spirits. Occultists knife the snakes one man slashed a red sand boa 22 times. Even the skeleton is not spared because the practitioners of black magic believe the vertebrae of the snakes can make things disappear. Moreover, red sand boas are butchered because of the unfounded conviction that their meat can cure AIDS, asthma, and erectile dysfunction. Believers in black magic think that drinking the snakes’ blood will give supernatural powers. Known in the state as ‘Do Mua’ (double headed), the snakes are mercilessly killed. Accessed 16 July 2008.AHMEDABAD: Red sand boas are the most benign snakes in the world but they expose the virulent cruelty of humans, especially in Gujarat. Media related to Erycinae at Wikimedia Commons Saggio di una distribuzione metodica degli animali vertebrati. ^ "Sarpamitra, foresters bust racket selling sand boa - Times of India".^ "Indore: Smugglers make crores with 'two-headed' snake". ^ "The Hindu : States / Tamil Nadu : Sand boa caught near Dharmapuri".^ "Three held for trafficking rare snake species Three held for trafficking rare snake species"."A nearly complete skeleton of the oldest definitive erycine boid (Messel, Germany)". Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference Vol. Other species are not commonly available, but are occasionally imported. They are usually not aggressive species, though they sometimes have a tendency to bite, and also spend the vast majority of their time hiding. They breed readily, their small size making them an attractive option. johnii are frequently available in the exotic pet trade and are often captive-bred. There is a misconception about their medicinal and aphrodisiacal properties, as well as the belief that keeping this snake as a pet brings wealth and prosperity. Most of the smuggled snakes go to the United States. Poaching and smuggling of sand boas is often reported in India. At least three species lay eggs, however: the Calabar python, Calabaria reinhardtii (once regarded as a python for this reason), the Arabian sand boa, Eryx jayakari, and the West African sand boa, E. Otherwise far removed from their boine relatives, erycines are generally ovoviviparous, i.e., giving birth to live young. The erycines' primary diet is rodents, but they have also been known to prey on lizards and birds. When potential prey approaches, they erupt out of the sand, bite, and employ constriction to subdue it. The majority of sand boas spend much of their time basking below the surface of the sand, with only their eyes or head exposed. The oldest known erycines are from the Eocene-aged Messel Pit in Germany. Now, only four species remain in North America, as well as the Old World sand boas proper in Africa, Asia, and Southeastern Europe. įossil erycines have been found in rock strata over 50 million years old, and were once widespread in North America. Distribution and habitat Įrycines are found in Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, North, Central, West and East Africa, Arabia, Central and Southwest Asia, India, Sri Lanka, southwestern Canada, the western United States, and northwestern Mexico. Also, the vertebrae of the tail are increased in size but reduced in number. The skull is more compact than in the subfamily Boinae. A great deal of sexual dimorphism exists, with females generally becoming much larger than males.Įrycines have skeletal adaptations to burrowing. They have small eyes and hard, small scales to protect their skin from the grit of sand. Most grow to around 60 cm (24 in) in total length. johnii, rarely exceeds 120 cm (47 in) in total length (including tail). Description Įrycinae is a subfamily of stout-bodied snakes, all of which are competent burrowers. Four genera comprising 18 species are currently recognized as being valid. Species of the subfamily Erycinae are found in Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, Arabia, central and southwestern Asia, India, Sri Lanka, and western North America. The Erycinae, also known as the Old World sand boas, are a subfamily of nonvenomous snakes in the family Boidae.
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