Skull Island: A Documentation of the Most Terrifying Place on Earth

by SomethingWittyIGuess

In the summer of 1889, a British Naval ship sails from India to Australia, however a tropical storm causes it to wash up on a lost island in the Indian Ocean. The crew dubs the landmass Skull Island and they take note of the odd and even deadly fauna and flora that call this place home. Since then, several expeditions were made to explore this land and what lived there.

20. The Pseudoconda

Pseudoconda (Megacandoia pseudoconda)

A common misconception regarding the difference between pythons and boas is that pythons are from the Old World and that boas are supposedly endemic to the New World. This is partially untrue (all pythons are native to the Old World) because there are many species of boa found in central Africa, Madagascar, Melanesia, and (the focus of this entry) Skull Island. Despite Skull Island being one of the world's leading examples of a biodiversity hotspot, snakes are, unfortunately, very poor in supply. Most snakes found on the main island (about a ¾ ratio) are boas with the rest usually being Old World colubrids or the occasional python. The only venomous snakes found in the region are found on Tiger Island (sans one example). However, despite the lack of variety of Skull Island serpents, there is one very charismatic example that is well-known across the world; the aptly named Pseudoconda (Megacandoia pseudoconda).

The Pseudoconda is a large boa that rivals the Neotropical Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) in its shape, size, length, and behavior patterns (hence its name). Like its American counterpart, it is a superb swimmer, making a home out of Skull Island's menagerie of rivers, streams, springs, and lakes. Their amphibious locomotion also helps them with hunting as, much like a crocodile, it watches its prey, usually consisting of fish, amphibians, birds, and medium to large mammals and reptiles, waiting for it to approach the riverbank to drink. Then, the reptilian beast clamps its powerful, double-hinged jaws around its victim's throat, constricting it and cutting off air and circulation before swallowing it whole.

Like other boas, the Pseudoconda is ovoviviparous, in which they give birth to "live young". During mating, the male uses its vestigial leg spurs (a trait commonly found in many large constrictors) to grab hold of the female. A total of 20-30 offspring are born although, due to the lack of parental care, many fall prey to other animals.

This leviathan of a serpent has become one of Skull Island's most recognizable animals, probably due to it being a very prominent case of convergent evolution. It is very easy to keep in captivity (like many giant constrictors) and is sometimes sold as a pet (although due to their aquatic nature and large size it is not encouraged).

Author's Note: The Pseudoconda is loosely based on the serpentine plesiosaur-like monster (labeled as an "Elasmosaurus") in the original 1933 King Kong movie.