Name: Arabian sand boa (Eryx jayakari)
Where it lives: Sandy deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Iran
What it eats: Short-fingered geckos (Stenodactylus), Baluch rock geckos (Bunopus tuberculatus) and worm lizards.
Why it’s awesome: These derpy-looking snakes have eyes that seem like they’ve been glued onto the top of their heads, earning them a Celebrity moment on social media.
“The only reason that the Arabian sand boa (Eryx jayakari) has survived this long is that its prey can’t stop laughing in time to escape,” one Reddit user wrote in a post.
“Ah yes, the Arabian sand boa, the most dumb looking snake,” another user said.
Arabian sand boas are nocturnal; they spend the day buried deep in the sand and move toward the surface at dusk to hunt. And while their googly eyes are sometimes ridiculed, they are essential to these snakes’ hunting strategy.
Having eyes on top of their heads enables Arabian sand boas to peek out as they lie in wait for prey to pass nearby, with the rest of their golden-brown bodies buried in the sand.
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Arabian sand boas grow up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) long and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. They are one of two boa species that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young — the other egg-laying species being the Saharan sand boa (Eryx muelleri), which is found throughout Africa.
