Red sand boa

• A Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India report has pointed out 172 incidents of seizures of red sand boa between the years 2016-2021.

ABOUT RED SAND BOA

• Scientific name-Eryx johnii
• It is a non-venomous snake species belonging to the Boidae family.
• Also called a “Two-headed snake” due to its round tail that looks like a head.
• Distribution- found across the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and parts of Bangladesh.
• These snakes are predominantly nocturnal.
• They primarily feed on small mammals like rodents, birds and their eggs.
• The red sand boa is acknowledged as one of the most traded reptile species in the illegal trade market, due to its demand in the pet trade, as well as for use in black magic.
• The red sand boa is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a ‘decreasing’ population trend in most of their habitat ranges.
• Red Sand Boas are ovoviviparous(meaning that they give birth to live young instead of laying eggs)