A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive.

[15] They include: The boa constrictor is a large snake, although it is only modestly sized in comparison to other large snakes, such as the reticulated python, Burmese python, or the occasionally sympatric green anaconda, and can reach lengths from 3 to 13 ft (0.91 to 3.96 m) depending on the locality and the availability of suitable prey.

[18] The largest documented non-stretched dry skin is deposited at Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM 4961/2012) and measures 14.6 ft (4.45 m) without head.

Although these individuals are rare in the wild, they are common in captivity, where they are often selectively bred to make a variety of different color "morphs".

[17] Boa constrictors can sense heat via cells in their lips, though they lack the labial pits surrounding these receptors seen in many members of the family Boidae.

Depending on the subspecies, Boa constrictor can be found through South America north of 35°S (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Argentina), and many other islands along the coasts of South America.

[4] B. constrictor flourishes in a wide variety of environmental conditions, from tropical rainforests to arid semidesert country.

[28] However, it prefers to live in rainforest due to the humidity and temperature, natural cover from predators, and vast amount of potential prey.

As semi-arboreal snakes, young boa constrictors may climb into trees and shrubs to forage; however, they become mostly terrestrial as they become older and heavier.

[29] The bulk of their diet consists of rodents (such as squirrels, mice, rats and agoutis), but larger lizards (such as ameivas, iguanas and tegus) and mammals as big as monkeys, marsupials, armadillos, wild pigs and ocelots are also reported to have been consumed.

The boa's powerful muscles allow it to exert a great deal of pressure, and the prey is typically killed within a few minutes.

However, they have also been known to actively hunt, particularly in regions with a low concentration of suitable prey, and this behavior generally occurs at night.

It takes the snake about 4–6 days to fully digest the food, depending on the size of the prey and the local temperature.

[37] Half of all females breed in a given year, and a larger percentage of males actively attempt to locate a mate.

[38] The Colombian rainbow boa (Epicrates maurus) was found to reproduce by facultative parthenogenesis resulting in production of WW female progeny.

This is only the third genetically confirmed case of consecutive virgin births of viable offspring from a single female within any vertebrate lineage.

[42] When the female ovulates, a midbody swell can be noticed that appears similar to the snake having eaten a large meal.

At 3–4 years, boa constrictors become sexually mature and reach the adult size of 6–10 feet (1.8–3.0 m), although they continue to grow at a slow rate for the rest of their lives.

After the reticulated python, boa constrictors are the snake most commonly killed for snakeskin products, such as shoes, bags, and other items of clothing.

[10] In some areas, they have an important role in regulating the opossum populations, preventing the potential transmission of leishmaniasis to humans.

[48] In some regions, boa constrictor numbers have been severely hit by predation from humans and other animals and over-collection for the exotic pet and snakeskin trades.