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Thursday 11 July 2024 locAl
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            Snakes you may encounter on Aruba




            (Oranjestad)—If  you  have                                                                                          leaves under bushes waiting
            ever  or  will  ever  go  off-                                                                                      to catch prey that pass. Boas
            roading on the island, you                                                                                          catch  their  prey  with  their
            may encounter three types                                                                                           teeth  and  then  constrict  it
            of snakes that are dominant                                                                                         in their coils. The Boa’s diet
            on the island. The Cascabel,                                                                                        consists of birds, lizards, rats,
            Santanero  and  Boa  differ                                                                                         mice,  and  rabbits.  Large
            from each other in a couple                                                                                         Boas have been known to
            ways, and local perspective                                                                                         eat small goats and chick-
            on each one may help you                                                                                            ens. When threatened, Boas
            understand what you need                                                                                            will hiss loudly.
            to  do  if  you  ever  were  to
            encounter one during your                                                                                           Boas are a non-native spe-
            touring session on the island.                                                                                      cies and are invasive to the
                                                                                                                                island, risking the population
                Cascabel (Crotalus                                                                                              of  native  lizards  and  birds.
                     unicolor)                                                                                                  The first Boas were reported
            The small Cascabel or Aruba                                                                                         on the island in 1999. Since
            Island Rattlesnake averages                                                                                         that  time  they  have  been
            70 cm in length. The body                                                                                           found  across  the  entire  is-
            color is often uniform gray or                                                                                      land in all types of habitats.
            light  brown.  There  may  be                                                                                       If you ever encounter a Boa,
            a faint pattern of diamond                                                                                          please  do  not  approach
            shaped  markings  on  the  mostly within Arikok Nation-   is recognizable by the large  or  cream  colored  with  nu-  it.  Instead,  please  call  the
            back. This pattern is most no-  al Park. The Arikok National  scales on the top of its head  merous  black  spots.  Boas  Arikok National Park, as they
            ticeable on younger snakes.  Park was designated in the  and  by  its  pattern  of  dark  are excellent climbers and  are experienced in handling
            The most distinctive feature  early 1980s to include most  brown  bands  alternating  may be found in trees and  Boas.q
            of this snake is the rattle at the  of the rattlesnake’s popula-  with light brown bands. The  cactus. Boas also hide in the
            end of its tail which makes  tion, providing a safe refuge  belly is plain white or cream
            a buzzing sound when the  in which the snake can be  colored without any mark-
            snake is alarmed. Cascabels  protected  and  monitored.  ings. Native as well to the is-
            are shy and not aggressive,  The  government  has  also  land, this snake is shy and not
            but their venom can be dan-  implemented       outreach  aggressive. However, it has
            gerous  to  humans.  In  fact,  and education initiatives to  enlarged teeth at the back
            it’s the only venomous snake  change local perception of  of its mouth and mild venom
            native to the island. It is best  the  snake  and  highlight  its  which  is  not  dangerous  to
            to leave this snake alone. Do  ecological  and  economic  humans,  but  can  paralyze
            not attempt to catch or kill it,  importance – it is now be-  small lizards and frogs. San-
            as it could not only be dan-  ing promoted as a national  taneros are most active at
            gerous, but this snake is also  symbol. Arikok’s partnership  night when they search for
            endemic to the island, and  with the Toledo zoo has safe-  food. During the day, they
            its preservation has become  guarded the rattlesnake ex-  hide under rocks or leaves.
            a legal mandate for all resi-  situ and led to a number of  They frequently climb trees
            dents and visitors.          research projects collecting  and cactus. Santaneros eat
            Cascabels hunt by waiting  critical data on the Casca-    toads, frogs, insects, and liz-
            under  bushes  and  fruiting  bel’s abundance, life history  ards. You may find Santane-
            trees  to  catch  passing  liz-  and habitat requirement to  ros near dams during periods
            ards,  mice,  rats,  small  rab-  help guide future conserva-  of rainy weather or crossing
            bits, and an occasional bird.  tion efforts.              roads at night. This snake is
            This is often considered to be                            found island wide. A Santan-
            one of the rarest rattlesnakes       Santanero            ero in your garden will keep
            in  the  world.  The  range  of  The  slender  Santanero  or  away the unwanted insects.
            the  Cascabel  is  restricted  Aruban  Cat-eyed  Snake  is  If you encounter a Santanero
            to  the  rugged  and  moun-  a  small  fella,  typically  less  around your garden, please
            tainous areas of the island  than 50 cm long. This snake  do not harm this species.

                                                                         Boa (Boa constrictor)
                                                                      Boas  are  Aruba’s  largest
                                                                      snakes.  The  longest  Boa
                                                                      found  on  the  island  was
                                                                      slightly less than 3 m. New-
                                                                      born Boas average 35 cm.
                                                                      Boas are not venomous but
                                                                      are what is called constrictor
                                                                      snakes; they kill by wrapping
                                                                      themselves  around  a  prey
                                                                      and  suffocating  them.  The
                                                                      most  distinctive  feature  of
                                                                      a Boa is its pattern of dark
                                                                      brown  and  tan  blotches
                                                                      which become red toward
                                                                      the  tail.  The  belly  in  white
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