Türkiye’s sole boa constrictor caught on camera

ANTALYA

An anatomy researcher and wildlife photographer has captured through the lens a baby single-spur snake (Eryx jaculus), Türkiye’s rarely encountered only boa constrictor.

“It is extremely difficult to capture them because of their way of life,” Dr. Pedram Türkoğlu said.

He noted that though these snakes are not in danger of extinction, their population keeps decreasing because of habitat destruction and human killing, despite the fact that “they are precisely harmless to people.”

Capturing a baby of only single-spur snake species — also known as "sand boa" — in the Aegean region, Türkoğlu highlighted the fact that people are usually not aware of their existence in Türkiye.

The researcher cited that this species is a member of the family Boidae, which includes the world’s heaviest snake, green anaconda (Eunectes murinus).

“They are completely nonpoisonous, and they strangle their prey,” Türkoğlu said, stressing the fact that the word “boa” bears no connection to the Turkish verb “boğmak,” which means “strangle” in English.

“It has a meaning similar to ‘a huge snake’ etymologically,” he said, pointing out that the word “boa” is of Latin origin.