Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa

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.

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