ANIMAL: Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa Corallus batesii Type of Animal: Boa/Python Habitat: Rainforest, forested swamps/swamp forest, riversides, wetlands, riparian areas, found from sea level to 3,300 ft Location(s): S Guiana Shield, N & W Brazil, E Peru, E Ecuador, S Colombia, S Venezuela Appearance: Dark green emerald color, darker/larger than closely related Emerald Tree Boa, enamel-white vertebral stripe w/ white triangular/diamond shaped markings, yellow belly, smaller snout scales, juveniles often reddish-orangish Food/Diet: Birds, small mammals up to size of small monkeys, lizards, smaller snakes, amphibians Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, herpetoculture, & aquariums Lifestyle: Solitary Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Snakelet Group: Solitary Weight: Male: 3-3.3 lbs Female: 3.5-4 lbs Young: 0.5 lb Gestation: 5 months Life Span: 15-20 years in wild, 25-30 years in captivity Body Length: Male: 7 ft Female: 8-9 ft Young: 2.5 ft Tail Length: 0.6 ft, same for both sexes Main predators of adults are raptors, felids, boa constrictors, & caimans. Many reptiles, amphibians, birds, & mammals eat young. Like most boas, they’re ovoviviparous w/ eggs hatching internally, resulting in 5-20 live young. Active at night (nocturnal). Like all boas, they kill prey by constricting/swallowing whole. They’re highly arboreal. They’re ambush predators. They’re very shy in the wild. Males & females often fight by constricting/mounting each other. Hybridize w/ closely related Common/Northern Emerald Tree Boas where both species occur. Camouflage comes in handy for catching prey & hiding from predators. Often seen in curled positions in trees. Use thermal receptor pits around mouth to detect prey. Sexually mature at 2-3 years old. Females breed once a year or once every other year. Fun Fact(s): Great example of parallel evolution-these & closely related Emerald Tree Boas look/behave very similar to Green Tree Pythons of New Guinea/NE Australia. Pythons lay eggs while boas give birth to live young. These snakes quite defensive & often aggressive (though not as aggressive as Northern Emerald Tree Boas), not hesitating to strike/bite. Have extra long sharp teeth (nearly 2 in) for capturing prey. While nonvenomous & not deadly, bites often require hospital visits & have caused permanent nerve damage. Due to slow metabolism, they can go months w/o eating/pooping.
