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Round Island Boa

Casarea dussumieri
The Round Island Boa, found on the islands of Mauritius, is now the only living member of its entire family, and is one of the rarest snakes on the planet. Only one other species had even been identified, and it went extinct in 1975.

This snake is most common on Round Island, an uninhabited 1.7 square kilometer patch of land in the Indian Ocean that has been a designated nature reserve since the 1950s. They have been introduced to a number of other islands as well, and there are currently around 1,000 individuals in the wild. Habitat loss an
d introduced animals were major causes to their decline, and efforts are being made to remove some of the invasive species from the Boa's habitat.

Round Island Boas are slender, with very thin, pointed heads. They grow to a maximum of 5ft, with females being slightly longer than males. They (and their now-extinct family member The Round Island Burrowing Boa) are the only snakes to have split jaws, which may help them to hunt their favorite prey-- Lizards and Geckos.
IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Mauritius
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Bolyeriidae -- Genus : Casarea -- Species : C. dussumieri
Image : Captive Reptile Forums
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