Boa Constrictor

The animal featured on the cover of Software Portability with Imake is the boa constrictor, a snake of the Boidae family.

Snakes were the last of the great reptile groups to appear; and, among living snakes, the Boids remain closest to their primitive form. In evidence are the remains of a pelvis and vestiges of hind legs that appear as spurs on either side of a Boid's cloaca (or vent). Males still use these vestigial limbs to help arouse females during mating. The Boids, which include boas, anacondas, and pythons, are the giants of the snake world (anacondas can reach lengths of thirty feet and can weigh over three hundred pounds).

Boa constrictors are typically grey or silver with a series of brown or deep red saddles along their backs. They are found in the warmest parts of the Americas, from Mexico to Argentina, and can reach lengths up to eighteen feet. Their young are born live, the average brood consisting of thirty to fifty one-foot snakes.

Boas feed on birds, reptiles, and mammals. A constrictor will seize prey with its mouth, swiftly coil around it, and tighten the grip so that the victim cannot expand its chest to breathe. Death by asphyxiation. Contrary to popular rumor or belief, boa constrictors pose little threat to humans. When a boa perceives danger, it will usually flee or threaten by hissing with a sound that can be heard over one hundred feet away.

researched and written by Michael Kalantarian

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Advanced Monkey Business

Just before this book went to press, I caught wind of a "problem with the colophon." This naturally grabbed my attention, since I had just written and submitted the piece. It turned out that the author of the book took offense to the allusion to evolution. After some back-and-forth in email, I reluctantly agreed to rewrite the colophon, Darwin-free.

What makes this story even more fascinating is the fact that the author works at a Primate Research Center. Go figure.