The emerald tree boa ( Corallus caninus ) is a fascinating and beautiful snake species native to the rainforests of South America. Known for its vibrant green coloration and arboreal lifestyle, this snake presents unique aspects regarding its diet, habitat, and care. This article delves into the specifics of the emerald tree boa, covering its natural environment, dietary habits, and the best practices for keeping them as pets.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
Emerald tree boas reside in the Amazon River Basin region, specifically in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and from Venezuela to Surinam and the Guianas. They thrive in the canopy of lowland tropical rainforests, a habitat characterized by dense vegetation and high humidity. These snakes are well-adapted to life in the trees and can spend their entire lives above the ground. While they primarily inhabit the canopy foliage of trees and shrubs, they occasionally descend to the ground to bask in the sun. They can also be found alongside rivers, but are not dependent on open water.
Physical Characteristics and Adaptations
Adult emerald tree boas can grow to well over six feet in length. Females can weigh up to 4 pounds, while males typically weigh between 2-3 pounds. Their body is a bright green with white zigzag striping on the dorsal surface, sometimes resembling lightning bolts. The ventral, or underside, is yellow. Young emerald tree boas vary in color from light orange to brick red, changing into their trademark green over their first year of life, a process known as ontogenetic coloration.
They have a bulky head with heat-sensing pits under the upper lip to help in locating warm-blooded prey. They have a thin neck and stout body. Emerald tree boas have a prehensile tail, meaning they can grasp things with it. Their front teeth are often incorrectly called “fangs” but are actually highly developed front teeth that are proportionately larger than those of any other non-venomous snakes. Fangs are connected to venom glands, and Emerald Tree Boas are nonvenomous.
Emerald tree boas look different based on locality. The northern locality has a green body with a white belly and white markings, and is smaller at 4-6’ long. The southern locality has a dark green body with a yellow belly and white markings, and can grow as large as 9’ long.
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Diet and Feeding Habits
The Emerald Tree Boa is a carnivore. In the wild, these snakes consume small mammals, small birds, lizards, and frogs. They are nocturnal predators of rodents, lizards, and marsupials. They catch most of their prey while they hang from a branch to snatch them off the ground.
In captivity, most emerald tree boas are offered mice, rats, and pheasant chicks. Prey items should be around 10% of the snake’s weight and/or roughly the same width at its widest point. Although live prey can be offered, it’s best to use frozen whenever possible. Frozen prey that has been properly thawed is highly recommended. All prey is recommended to be pre-killed as live prey can cause severe injuries to snakes.
Emerald Tree Boas have a slow metabolism and may sometimes go months without eating. Ideally, hatchlings and juveniles should be fed every 10-12 days while adults are fed 1-2 times a month. This species is a slow-growing species with a peculiar feeding habit of hanging downward with its prey from a coiled position on a tree branch. This species does have a problem with regurgitation in high temperatures. Also, most Emeralds will not defecate after every meal but after every second or third meal.
Social Structure and Reproduction
Emerald Tree Boas are solitary outside the breeding season. They are ovoviviparous, meaning females hold the eggs internally, where they hatch and are expelled alongside live young. Males are sexually mature around 3-4 years old and females are mature around 4-5 years old. The boas breed every second year. The breeding season of this species lasts from April to July, mating usually beginning once females reach 4 to 5 years old and males 3 to 4 years old.
Once these snakes are successfully mated, they will produce 6-14 young in 6-7 months. Emerald tree boas are a viviparous species with a gestation period of 6 to 7 months. Females produce up to 20 babies following a 6-7-month gestation period. Their eggs hatch internally, with the young being born alive. Baby snakes are brick-red, bright red, orange, or yellow and become green after a year.
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Lifespan and Conservation Status
Emerald Tree Boas can live up to 25 years in human care. There are no data about the longevity of emerald tree boas in the wild.
According to IUCN Red List, Emerald tree boa is regularly encountered in Venezuela, although in Suriname and Brazilian Guiana this species is rather scarce in nature or at least difficult to locate. However, the total populations size of this species is unknown. Loss of the boa's habitat is a concern, though most of their habitat is under little or no pressure. The major threat to this species is the collection for the pet trade. Emerald tree boas are increasingly sought by humans in recent years, as their beauty is pleasing.
Emerald Tree Boas as Pets
Emerald tree boas are considered one of the most difficult snakes in the pet trade to care for. Due to their size, temperament, and susceptibility to dehydration, emerald tree boas are advanced-level pet reptiles. However, if kept correctly, their unmatched beauty makes them a trophy exotic in any collection.
Enclosure
Providing a proper enclosure can require some creativity. The absolute minimum terrarium size for a single emerald tree boa is 48”L x 24”W x 48”H. Of course, larger is always better!
They are arboreal snakes, which means they spend most of their time high in the branches. Your enclosure should be large enough to accommodate this. Emerald tree boas should be offered a variety of horizontal branches, ranging in size and placement in the enclosure. Caging accessories should include heavy vegetation to provide some hide areas, especially for young snakes. Vertically inclined branches should be offered for enrichment and exercise, but a few branches should be completely horizontal and thick enough for the snake to drape over them and be supported. Branches or perches can be natural wood or PVC piping. Other creative versions of perches have been created such as wrapping fake vines over PVC piping. Waterfalls can be added to the enclosure as well as other decorations.
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There are several other criteria to keep in mind when choosing an enclosure. One is humidity, the other is air flow. Your enclosure needs to be able to hold high humidity while still allowing for regular air circulation. To do this, I use a screen top on my set ups, but cut a piece of glass to cover about a third of the top.
Lighting
Technically they can survive without it, but we still recommend providing appropriate UVB lighting for emerald tree boas. UVB lighting helps provide a clear day/night cycle, provides all of the vitamin D that your pet needs, strengthens the immune system, facilitates better digestion, and provides other benefits. For best results, house the UVB bulbs in a reflective fixture such as Vivarium Electronics or the Arcadia ProT5. UVB is blocked by glass and plastic, so placing the terrarium in front of a window doesn’t count as “free UVB” - in fact it can make your terrarium too hot due to the greenhouse effect.
Temperature
Like other reptiles, emerald tree boas are cold-blooded, which means that they rely on external temperatures to manage their own body temperature and metabolism. Emerald tree boas are cooler weather reptiles. They should have a hot spot no warmer than 85f during the day time, and ambient temperatures should be at 75f. You can allow temperatures to drop to 72*f at night, but not below. Specifically speaking, emerald tree boas should have a basking air temperature between 88-93°F. Average ambient temperature should be around 84°F, dropping to around 78°F at night.
Provide heat for your snake with at least two heat bulbs, placed close together over the basking area (ex: a piece of flagstone or stone paver) to evenly heat the snake’s entire body. Do not use ceramic heat emitters (CHEs), red bulbs, or blue bulbs, as these are not as effective. If the bubs are a little too hot, use a plug-in lamp dimmer to reduce output. A lot of keepers recommend using a low wattage heat producing bulb to achieve these basking temperatures.
When using a heat emitting bulb, I find that my emerald tree boas attempt to burrow in their substrate. This is a sure fire sign that your boa is far too warm. After I noticed my boas doing this, I switched to heat tape or a large under tank heater placed on the side of the enclosure. My boas still avoid this like the plague. My house is kept a little warmer than most homes are kept (it doesn’t drop below 75*f), so my recommendation for heat is really experiment a bit to see what works in your home. Remember, digital thermometers should be used measure temperatures.
Humidity
Emerald tree boas are a tropical species that requires an average humidity of 70-80%. They are very sensitive to dehydration, so it’s important to keep them appropriately hydrated, but that doesn’t mean their enclosure should always be soaking wet, either. Increase humidity by misting your snake’s enclosure 1-2x/day with a spray bottle or automatic misting system. Mist first thing in the morning and then again at night if needed. A cool mist humidifier connected to a hygrostat can also help.
Substrate
Providing a thick layer of naturalistic substrate (“bedding”) will help maintain correct humidity levels and helps make your enclosure more attractive! Layering clean, chemical-free leaf litter on top of the substrate can also help with humidity. Substrate should be at least 4” deep and completely replaced every 3-4 months. With such a high level of humidity in the enclosure, it is important to monitor and change the substrate frequently to prevent mold. Some owners keep their pets in natural vivariums with live plants and natural drainage systems. These enclosures do require some degree of diligence and maintenance. Newspaper replaced daily or reptile carpet can be used as it does not mold quickly. Wood shavings (not cedar or pine) such as orchid bark can be utilized but must be agitated daily and changed weekly.
Feeding
Emerald tree boas are carnivorous, which means that they need to eat whole animal prey in order to get the right nutrition. Prey items should be around 10% of the snake’s weight and/or roughly the same width at its widest point. Appropriate prey options include mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, quail, and chicks. Snakes can survive without dietary supplements, but using them every once in a while can help prevent your pet from developing a nutritional deficiency, helping it live healthier. Emerald tree boas need constant access to drinking water.
Handling
Reptiles generally don’t appreciate petting and handling in the same way that dogs and cats do, and emerald tree boas definitely prefer to be left alone rather than handled. This means they’re happiest as a display animal. But when you need to work in your boa’s enclosure, use a snake hook or paper towel to keep the snake occupied.