Amazon Basin emerald tree boa

Physical features

• Amazon Basin emerald tree boas are deep emerald green in color and have white markings that run in a strip along their backs.

• Their large, bulky head is a contrast to their much thinner neck. The stripe usually has an alternating pattern of white triangles, giving an almost "barbed wire" appearance. The underside is bright yellow.

• Average length is 5-6 feet, but this species can reach lengths of over 7 feet.

• They are strictly arboreal snakes that rely on their prehensile tails as solid support. This characteristic allows it to strike out and catch prey while remaining wrapped around a branch.

• The characteristic coil of the emerald tree boa is to be wrapped around a single branch with their head more or less in the center of the coil. This is only replicated by the green tree python found in Australia and New Guinea.

• Emerald tree boas possess more heat pits than do the rest of the snakes found in the Boidae family. These pits allow tree boas to see in the infrared spectrum, which is believed to help them more accurately detect prey.

• They have unusually long, recurved teeth when compared to other boas. These long teeth help secure a firm hold on prey. As a result, expended energy is not wasted on accidentally dropping prey to the ground after it is caught.

Diet: Carnivore

• Wild – Primarily mammals, but juveniles will sometimes prey on lizards.

• Zoo – Mice, rats, chicks

Reproduction

• Sexual maturity is reached at around three to four years in males and four to five years in females.

• The majority of boas are ovoviviparous. Emerald tree boas give birth to up to 20 offspring at a time after a gestation period of about six months.

Interpretive Information

• Babies are usually orange at birth (very rarely green) with white striping. They begin to shift to green starting around 6-8 months of age.

• Emerald tree boas and green tree pythons are very similar in physical features and characteristics and are often confused with one another. Emerald tree boas are found in South American rainforests, while green tree pythons are found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australian rainforests. This is a classic case of convergent evolution, where non-related species fill similar ecological niches and develop similar behaviors and/or traits.

• This species was described in 2009, although it had been recognized as different from other populations of emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus) for many years before that.

Updated April 2024