Jiboias

The online version of the newspaper Agazetta recently carried a report about a "jiboia" found by a road in the coastal city of Vila Velha in Brazil. On one side was a field of long grass, and forest, on the other a series of modern apartment blocks.

http://gazetaonline.globo.com/_conteudo/2012/04/eu_aqui/cidadao_reporter/1184785-jiboia-e-encontrada-em-rua-da-praia-da-costa-em-vila-velha.html

There are two types of jiboia, of Boa constrictor, found in Brazil, but given the location this is probably Boa constrictor amarali .

B. c. amarali normally hunts at night and rests during the day, and it normally found in trees, not on the road! In fact the gentleman in the photo said it was only the second one he had ever seen. It's normal prey are birds, or maybe lizards, but there is at least one recorded example of one taking a tree porupine. This was a mistake! We only know about it because the unfortunate snake (and unfortunate porcupine!) died and were found. The jiboia in this case was probably a young one, apparently small young snakes normally try for larger prey than mature large ones - they learn!