Visiting the snakes at the NEW Zoo in Suamico

Suamico - Neil Anderson got away from a rainy, chilly morning by heading inside the Education Center at the NEW Zoo in Suamico.
 

The center is home to the zoo's snakes. There are about 3,000 species of snakes in the world. About 375 of them are venomous.

The red-tail boa is not venomous, but does have a couple hundred teeth that are curved back.

The red-tail boa at the NEW Zoo was originally a pet, and was donated to the zoo about 8 years ago.

Hissabella weighs in at about 54 pounds and is more than 10 feet long. She may get a little bigger.

Snakes are cold-blooded, and require temperatures between 75 and 90 degrees Farenheit for their health and metabolism.

Boas are constrictors, which means they constrict their prey. Their lower jaw is flexible. The jaw bones can separate and the ligaments stretch to allow boas to swallow prey bigger than their head.

The red-tail boa's heart is in a sac. That means the heart can slide side-to-side as prey moves through the snake's body.