06-02-06-064-s
Name:
Date:
Subject: Year 6 Literacy
Unit: Boa constrictor
Boa Constrictor
Quick facts
Diet: Carnivore
Life span in the wild: 20 – 30 years
Size: 4 m
Weight: 27 kg
Group name: Bed
The boa constrictor is a massive snake that wraps itself around its prey, squeezing tightly
until it stops breathing. It lives in the tropical rainforests and semi desert scrublands in
Central and North America. It can live high up in the trees or low on the ground. The
boa constrictor is nocturnal and hunts at night. The boa grabs its victim with its sharp
teeth and suffocates it with its muscular body. It then opens its wide jaws and swallows
the prey whole. Boas feed on mice, birds, frogs, lizards and even monkeys and wild pigs.
After eating a large meal, the boa will not need to eat again for several weeks.
Boas vary in colour and can be brown, black, green, red, yellow or tan, depending on
where they live. Females give birth to live young. Baby boas are about 50 cm in length
and are independent at birth. They know how to hunt and how to stay hidden from
other predators.
Boa constrictors are popular in the pet trade.
© Primary Leap Ltd. 2010
www.primaryleap.co.uk - Primary Resources
Score
8
06-02-06-064-s
Name:
Date:
Subject: Year 6 Literacy
Unit: Boa constrictor
Boa Constrictor
Answer the following questions:
1. What do we call an animal that only eats meat?
___________________________________________________________________
2. What do we call a group of boa constrictors?
___________________________________________________________________
3. Does a boa constrictor hunt during the day or during the night?
___________________________________________________________________
4. A boa constrictor can grow to a length of....
a
2 m
c
b
5 m
d 6m
4m
5. Name three animals that a boa constrictor will eat.
___________________________________________________________________
6. How long are baby boas at birth?
___________________________________________________________________
7. How does a boa constrictor kill its prey?
___________________________________________________________________
8. What is the average weight of a boa constrictor?
___________________________________________________________________
© Primary Leap Ltd. 2010