Pacific tree boa (Candoia bibroni)

a rather odd-looking individual with an apparently mis-shapen head. In New Caledonia this species is only found in the Loyalty Islands just to the east of the main island.

August 2010. Review here: http://www.zoochat.com/92/parc-zoologique-et-forestier-169406/

yeah, its head is a bit weird, like someone hit it with a metal bar or something? Very unusual.

Looks almost adder-like.

I've seen Pacific tree boas in Fiji as well (captive ones e.g. http://www.zoochat.com/390/pacific-boa-candoia-bibroni-30303/) but never looking like this. It really does look like its skull has been crushed inwards, which could also explain the wierd snout shape if the jaw had been broken. Just a guess.

most probably a birth defect. Some royal python colour mutations are known to produce defects with elongated heads that dont usualy effect feeding etc.

It is probably an animal that has been injured in some way. Injured constrictors are sometimes brought into zoos in Brazil by the public (more often they are just killed though) and some of these cannot be rehabilitated so end up staying.

I would be very suprised if this sort of thing doesn't also happen from time to time in New Caledonia too.