A few rainbow boa shots from my 2018 Peruvian Amazon trip! The first shot shows the amazingly gorgeous iridescence of the rainbow boa. I have this photo available on a phone case in my shop linked in IG bio! Most animal coloration is caused by pigments absorbing/reflecting light, but iridescence is a a structural coloration caused by the interaction of light with nanometer scale variation in the tissue, whether that be interference, scattering or diffraction, resulting in a rainbow of colors being visible that change as you alter your viewpoint. In snakes the structures producing iridescence are called iridophores and are stacked reflective platelets several layers thick. The purpose of iridescence is poorly understood, but the iridophore structures are exceptionally smooth and could help snakes move through the environment easier with friction reduction and could also help in repelling water, you might notice how water drops bead and don’t spread on iridescent snakes, and how they always look so clean and dirt free even when pulled from soil. The coloration could also act to startle predators or to mimic bright warning colors. It’s a fascinating subject with many possibilities! The second shot shows how they often are in the wild, ready to bite!! You can see the 6 rows of teeth clearly! Nonvenomous, but not something you want to bite you. This was encountered during one of my past Peruvian Amazon expeditions, I’ll have another in fall 2022 if you’d like to join! If interested send me an email [email protected] Photographed with a Sony A7riii with a Metabones mark V adapter and Canon 100mm macro lens. If you enjoy my photos I always read and appreciate comments, also feel free to share and see more at my website www.ChrisGillette.com #epicratescenchriagaigeae #epicratescenchria #peru #amazon #peruvianamazon #herping #fieldherping #rainforest #amazonrainforest #rainbowboa #epicrates #iridescence #iridescent #iridophores https://www.instagram.com/p/CXCaDwmvC7m/?utm_medium=tumblr
