boa

boa [IBM] n.  Any one of the fat cables that lurk under the
   floor in a {dinosaur pen}.  Possibly so called because they
   display a ferocious life of their own when you try to lay them
   straight and flat after they have been coiled for some time.  It is
   rumored within IBM that channel cables for the 370 are limited to
   200 feet because beyond that length the boas get dangerous -- and
   it is worth noting that one of the major cable makers uses the
   trademark `Anaconda'.