Latin Name: Corallus caninus Adult Size: Males up to 2 meters, females up to 2.5 meters. Average Life Span: Longevity is unknown at this time, however wild caught animals have lived for over 18 years in captivity. Native Distribution: Amazon River Basin, from southern Surinam, Southern Guyana, Southern Venezuela, to Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Physical Description: The Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa ranges from emerald green to a very dark greenish black with a vibrant yellow belly. The most desirable animals have an unbroken white stripe that runs down the middle of the back, from the neck to the end of the tail, with white diamond shaped markings running down both sides of the white stripe. Temperament: A nocturnal carnivore. The Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa is more docile than its northern cousin, the Northern Emerald Tree Boa. Status in the Wild: CITES II.
Native Habitat: Found in tropical rainforests, where they live in trees just above the forest floor to high in the canopy. Ambient Temperature: 22C to 28C. Basking Temperature: Needs a basking spot with a temperature between 32C and 36C. Humidity Range: 60% to 100%. Lighting: Full spectrum fluorescent. Terrarium Size: Adults are best kept on their own. Minimum terrarium dimensions: 60cm (length) X 60cm (width) X 120cm (height). Terrarium Decor: Tropical rain forest motif with several perches or branches for hunting, basking, and sleeping. Terrarium Substrate: Damp sphagnum moss mixed with fir bark chips. Terrarium Containment: A top is necessary for containment and to regulate humidity.
Hygiene: Clean water bowl and spot clean as necessary. Daily misting is beneficial to maintain humidity, however, any condensation on the glass should be allowed to dry out over night. Feeding: Feed adult snakes several adult mice or one medium rat every 14 to 21 days. The mid-body diameter of the mouse or rat should be no larger than the mid-body diameter of the snake. Never feed more than 3 times without allowing the snake to defecate. Handling: Handling is tolerated but may be stressful to the snake. Terrarium Compatibility: Best kept on their own.
Maturity: Sexual maturity is reached between 4 and 5 years of age. Females used for breeding should weigh at least 1,500 grams and will breed once every 2 years. Sexing: Probing after 1 year of age to avoid fracturing spinal vertebrae. Conditioning: Keep adults well fed on mice and / or rats. Cycling: Breeding may occur year-round during the cycling process, but usually occurs between September and April. Continue feeding and gradually lower the nighttime low temperatures for the breeders over a period of 6 weeks; e.g. daytime high temperature 29C; nighttime low 20C. Introduce the male into the females enclosure after the temperatures have reached their lowest. Mist in the morning and evening for several hours during the cycling period. After copulation, decrease misting and gradually increase temperatures to their normal highs and lows. Sex Ratio: Breed in M/F pairs. Egg Laying: Not applicable. All boas are ovoviviparous.
Incubation Temperature: Not applicable. Incubation / Gestation Time: A post ovulatory shed will occur 3 to 4 weeks after ovulation. Birthing occurs 130 to 150 days after the post ovulatory shed. Females will often have a bowel movement 24 to 72 hours before birthing. Size at Birth: 40cm to 48cm. Hatchling Sex Ratio: Not temperature dependant. Feeding: Hopper mice. Housing: During their first year, young Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boas are best raised individually in small enclosures, e.g. 40cm (length) X 28cm (width) X 15cm (height), with a wet paper towel substrate, a shallow water dish and several perches.
Regurgitation: Rules for prevention: (1) Don't keep them too warm (2) Maintain proper humidity cycles (3) Don't feed them too often (4) Feed proper sized meals (5) Allow for regular defecations (6) Exercise your snakes. If regurgitation occurs, wait 10 to 14 days and offer prey 1/2 the size of normal. Continue feeding small meals for 6 months then gradually increase prey size. Defecation: If your Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa does not defecate for a period of 60 days or more, then you may want to stimulate it to defecate by placing it, confined in an enclosure such as a bird cage, into a 28C degree shower for up to 30 minutes. Upper Respiratory Infection: Increase temperature to 32C and administer Cyprofloxacin Hydrochloride at a dosage of 11mg/kg orally every 48 to 72 hours until all symptoms disappear.
Disclaimer: Any course of treatment should be preceded by a thorough examination from a qualified professional. All remedies for ailments given above are for reference purposes only.
