Post by Admin - Angi on Apr 13, 2007 15:57:05 GMT
This one was written by Pete Blake (of The Reptile Zone, Bristol, UK)
Emerald Tree Boa Care Guide
The emerald tree boa originates from South America and on a surface level looks very much like the green tree python of Northern Australia and Indonesia. One thing in common is the way that both species young are polymorphic. There appearance can vary in colour from yellow to red and even green. This is an interesting point as both species are from different sides of the planet yet have these features in common. The body posture on the natural habitat in both species is also very similar.
Primarily they are found in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Surinam, and Brazil. In reptile collections today the Amazon basin emerald tree boa is now occurring in increasing frequency.
When thinking about getting one of these snakes its important you think about the environment of keeping this species, they have a certain reputation for dying with no apparent cause. Yet very much so that keepers have underrated the stress of moving environments and enclosures. The snakes feel any changes in a magnified way. There are still wild caught specimens on offer, yet it is now apparent that captive bred thrives much better than the WC counterparts. Only experienced ETB keepers should attempt WC if widening the gene pool is required and even then losses will happen. These snakes are not handling snakes, and should not be treated in that way. They are quite simply look at snakes. They don’t need or is it good to feed them as much as other species and it has been a misconception for years that they like other snakes like it hot.
The body of an emerald tree boa starts with a fairly large head. It is similar to a blunt arrow. The eyes are of vertical orientation and fairly narrow. The neck makes the head stand out even more by being so slight. Markings along the body can vary in individuals and localities.
The size of these snakes also varies with location. For instance the Amazon basin locality can reach lengths of seven to nine feet. But the main type seen in this country is the Surinam, Northern Guyana and as an average they will reach approx four to six feet. One thing which the emerald tree boa is famous for are the rows of pits or heat receptors which run along the jaw. Where as other snakes have this feature they are not as prominent as they are on this particular species. These heat receptors view the infrared radiation in the snake’s environment. This give the boa a thermo picture of what is around them and thus it is easy for the snake to target its prey.
As with all boas these snakes are live bearing. Normally in the wild these snakes will mate approximately between January and June but the main period of activity will be March and April. The neonates are then produced some seven months after successful copulation has occurred. Interestingly it is commonly thought that Emerald Tree Boas will produce young once every two years. There are probably two main contributory factors in this such as the slow metabolism and infrequent feeding which will impede the recovery of the female after such an arduous task.
The first thing to say in keeping them is, these snakes are definitely not for the beginner and you need to refine your skills in setting cages up and reading the snakes body language by keeping easier species first. I have heard it said garden tree boas and green tree pythons are good training snakes for emeralds but in truth emeralds are completely different to keep. What I would agree with is, if you have only kept corn snakes or pythons and boas which will accept food just left in the enclosure then these snakes will help you in learning the craft of actually strike feeding your captives. Also in setting up a more humid environment and ensuring your snake has a stress free life.
In housing your emerald tree boa you need four things,
Good ventilation
Correct heating
Accurate Temp Control
An ability of misting which can be a garden plant sprayer or a misting system fitted to the cage.
Most keepers agree that for an adult, a 2ft cube is a good size. The composition of the vivariums need to of a material which will tolerate the humidity. All of the keepers I have spoken to and have succeeded in keeping these snakes tend to use either fiberglass or composite enclosures. I have mine housed in a vision cage with a misting system fitted. Ventilation is just as important as the material constructed with. One of the misunderstandings with the husbandry of this species in the early years is the fact that when people did research on there habitat, it was done at ground level and not high up in the canopy of the rain forest. The conditions at this height are completely different to at ground level.
It is imperative that any keeper purchasing a new specimen has the vivarium set up and checked before the snake is put in there. These snakes do not respond well to stress or movement so it is important you are confident all heating equipment is working and keeping the correct temperatures beforehand. The correct temperature range is 80 – 82f during the day and 75f at night. This may seem on the cool side but remember these snakes spend their time high up where this is much more air movement. Do not be tempted to increase the temperature this will adversely affect your snake. Make sure the night time drop does not exceed the stated as this can increase the chances of regurgitation. Although it is common to use heat mats underneath on arboreal pythons and boas I would always recommend the use of back heating. This especially helps in feeding those snakes which are fed from below and look for thermo signatures. Obviously a good thermostat is crucial to maintaining the right temperature range and this goes hand in hand with a thermometer which will accurately tell you the temperature.
Humidity is another topic of discussion which is important to the correct husbandry of the snake but is often misunderstood. Higher humidity does not mean keeping 2 inches of water in the bottom of the enclosure as this will go stagnant very quickly. If this is kept up then water blisters can also appear on the surface of the skin. A daily or twice daily spray with tepid water into the enclosure will give you the correct humidity. It can be a temptation to cover up the ventilation areas to get greater humidity but with emerald tree boas the ventilation and airflow is critical to your success. A simple but effective tool is a hydrometer placed in the vivarium so you can monitor the humidity.
The metabolism of the emerald tree boa is much slower when compared to many other species of snakes. This affects the frequency and size of the food items being offered. In the early days of keeping these snakes they were overfed with items which were too big. This led to the regurgitation syndrome which this species were famous for. But by keeping the food items small and feeding frequency to about every three weeks this syndrome can be avoided. Feeding is best done in the evenings under low light; your snake will be much more alert and willing to feed. Strange as it may seem some emeralds don’t like the whiskers on mice and buy simply cutting them off you can entice an ETB which hasn’t fed to feed. Remember those heat receptors we talked about earlier, it is important the prey item is warmed to give a heat signature for the snake to pick up on.
Somebody once said to me a stress free emerald is a happy emerald. This is so true, if you are one of those keepers who enjoy handling your snakes then maybe an emerald tree boa isn’t for you. They are truly beautiful snakes, but they enjoy being left alone. The less your snake is disturbed normally is incremental to the success of its captive husbandry. So take in all the beauty of this snake from outside its enclosure.
If you are going to purchase a hatchling captive bred emerald tree boa then do not be tempted to put this into a 2ft cube but increase the cage size as it grows. A hatchling ETB would do well in a glass cube about 10 inches high by 8 across and 8 deep. This should have a perch running across two thirds of the way up. Bark is a good substrate as it can hold moisture which keeps the humidity at the right level. Personally I always have a couple of days in which to allow the cage to dry out. Then respray, the dry period should not be a long period of time, but I have found that problems such as water blisters do not occur if you practise this. In feeding your ETB as a hatchling it is important to remember that slowly is good large power feeding is bad. So don’t be in a hurry to move them on to the next size food item. Take your time and make sure no food item is a struggle. Remember these snakes have a slow metabolism and the last thing you want is regurge from a prey item to big. Always warm the prey on a heat mat once thawed so there is a heat signature. In regard to heating, YOU MUST USE A THERMOSTAT ON ANY HEATING EQUIPMENT. Take in account if placed in a sunny room how the sun can raise temps as well. The cage is best placed where direct sunlight cannot get into the cage and raise the temp beyond what is tolerable for the snakes. Many snakes are killed due to this mistake. Run the heat mats outside the cage up the back so the snakes do not get confused with heat signatures. In regard to lighting in your neonate cage, I find that natural daylight of the room is fine. One more thing in regard to feeding, never feed more than 3 times without seeing poo, if this happens it could point to an obstruction. If your ETB hasn’t gone, back off from the food and increase the humidity spraying and humidity can encourage the snake to defecate.
If happy these snakes will simply during the day sit on there perch comfortable and then be more active at night. They are not the most active snakes but are fascinating none the less.
A couple of points to remember, handling must be kept to a minimum and removable perches aid in this greatly, if you need to take an adult out, be slow, gentle and use a hook. The snake will feel much more comfortable having a anchor point. Remember these snakes have extremely large teeth which will hurt A LOT if bitten, and remember your hand will look like a food source so be careful. You will learn that cage maintenance is better done during the day when the snake is sleepy; you will see a different snake at night.
Written by Peter Blake
Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of these care sheets, we acknowledge that differences of opinion do exist within the reptile world. Therefore we do encourage you do read around this topic further and discuss it with known keepers and breeders.
If you feel that we have made any errors, please feel free to contact any member of the team and we will endeavour to research the subject at hand further.
Photograph by Angi Nelson
Emerald Tree Boa Care Guide
The emerald tree boa originates from South America and on a surface level looks very much like the green tree python of Northern Australia and Indonesia. One thing in common is the way that both species young are polymorphic. There appearance can vary in colour from yellow to red and even green. This is an interesting point as both species are from different sides of the planet yet have these features in common. The body posture on the natural habitat in both species is also very similar.
Primarily they are found in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Guyana, Surinam, and Brazil. In reptile collections today the Amazon basin emerald tree boa is now occurring in increasing frequency.
When thinking about getting one of these snakes its important you think about the environment of keeping this species, they have a certain reputation for dying with no apparent cause. Yet very much so that keepers have underrated the stress of moving environments and enclosures. The snakes feel any changes in a magnified way. There are still wild caught specimens on offer, yet it is now apparent that captive bred thrives much better than the WC counterparts. Only experienced ETB keepers should attempt WC if widening the gene pool is required and even then losses will happen. These snakes are not handling snakes, and should not be treated in that way. They are quite simply look at snakes. They don’t need or is it good to feed them as much as other species and it has been a misconception for years that they like other snakes like it hot.
The body of an emerald tree boa starts with a fairly large head. It is similar to a blunt arrow. The eyes are of vertical orientation and fairly narrow. The neck makes the head stand out even more by being so slight. Markings along the body can vary in individuals and localities.
The size of these snakes also varies with location. For instance the Amazon basin locality can reach lengths of seven to nine feet. But the main type seen in this country is the Surinam, Northern Guyana and as an average they will reach approx four to six feet. One thing which the emerald tree boa is famous for are the rows of pits or heat receptors which run along the jaw. Where as other snakes have this feature they are not as prominent as they are on this particular species. These heat receptors view the infrared radiation in the snake’s environment. This give the boa a thermo picture of what is around them and thus it is easy for the snake to target its prey.
As with all boas these snakes are live bearing. Normally in the wild these snakes will mate approximately between January and June but the main period of activity will be March and April. The neonates are then produced some seven months after successful copulation has occurred. Interestingly it is commonly thought that Emerald Tree Boas will produce young once every two years. There are probably two main contributory factors in this such as the slow metabolism and infrequent feeding which will impede the recovery of the female after such an arduous task.
The first thing to say in keeping them is, these snakes are definitely not for the beginner and you need to refine your skills in setting cages up and reading the snakes body language by keeping easier species first. I have heard it said garden tree boas and green tree pythons are good training snakes for emeralds but in truth emeralds are completely different to keep. What I would agree with is, if you have only kept corn snakes or pythons and boas which will accept food just left in the enclosure then these snakes will help you in learning the craft of actually strike feeding your captives. Also in setting up a more humid environment and ensuring your snake has a stress free life.
In housing your emerald tree boa you need four things,
Good ventilation
Correct heating
Accurate Temp Control
An ability of misting which can be a garden plant sprayer or a misting system fitted to the cage.
Most keepers agree that for an adult, a 2ft cube is a good size. The composition of the vivariums need to of a material which will tolerate the humidity. All of the keepers I have spoken to and have succeeded in keeping these snakes tend to use either fiberglass or composite enclosures. I have mine housed in a vision cage with a misting system fitted. Ventilation is just as important as the material constructed with. One of the misunderstandings with the husbandry of this species in the early years is the fact that when people did research on there habitat, it was done at ground level and not high up in the canopy of the rain forest. The conditions at this height are completely different to at ground level.
It is imperative that any keeper purchasing a new specimen has the vivarium set up and checked before the snake is put in there. These snakes do not respond well to stress or movement so it is important you are confident all heating equipment is working and keeping the correct temperatures beforehand. The correct temperature range is 80 – 82f during the day and 75f at night. This may seem on the cool side but remember these snakes spend their time high up where this is much more air movement. Do not be tempted to increase the temperature this will adversely affect your snake. Make sure the night time drop does not exceed the stated as this can increase the chances of regurgitation. Although it is common to use heat mats underneath on arboreal pythons and boas I would always recommend the use of back heating. This especially helps in feeding those snakes which are fed from below and look for thermo signatures. Obviously a good thermostat is crucial to maintaining the right temperature range and this goes hand in hand with a thermometer which will accurately tell you the temperature.
Humidity is another topic of discussion which is important to the correct husbandry of the snake but is often misunderstood. Higher humidity does not mean keeping 2 inches of water in the bottom of the enclosure as this will go stagnant very quickly. If this is kept up then water blisters can also appear on the surface of the skin. A daily or twice daily spray with tepid water into the enclosure will give you the correct humidity. It can be a temptation to cover up the ventilation areas to get greater humidity but with emerald tree boas the ventilation and airflow is critical to your success. A simple but effective tool is a hydrometer placed in the vivarium so you can monitor the humidity.
The metabolism of the emerald tree boa is much slower when compared to many other species of snakes. This affects the frequency and size of the food items being offered. In the early days of keeping these snakes they were overfed with items which were too big. This led to the regurgitation syndrome which this species were famous for. But by keeping the food items small and feeding frequency to about every three weeks this syndrome can be avoided. Feeding is best done in the evenings under low light; your snake will be much more alert and willing to feed. Strange as it may seem some emeralds don’t like the whiskers on mice and buy simply cutting them off you can entice an ETB which hasn’t fed to feed. Remember those heat receptors we talked about earlier, it is important the prey item is warmed to give a heat signature for the snake to pick up on.
Somebody once said to me a stress free emerald is a happy emerald. This is so true, if you are one of those keepers who enjoy handling your snakes then maybe an emerald tree boa isn’t for you. They are truly beautiful snakes, but they enjoy being left alone. The less your snake is disturbed normally is incremental to the success of its captive husbandry. So take in all the beauty of this snake from outside its enclosure.
If you are going to purchase a hatchling captive bred emerald tree boa then do not be tempted to put this into a 2ft cube but increase the cage size as it grows. A hatchling ETB would do well in a glass cube about 10 inches high by 8 across and 8 deep. This should have a perch running across two thirds of the way up. Bark is a good substrate as it can hold moisture which keeps the humidity at the right level. Personally I always have a couple of days in which to allow the cage to dry out. Then respray, the dry period should not be a long period of time, but I have found that problems such as water blisters do not occur if you practise this. In feeding your ETB as a hatchling it is important to remember that slowly is good large power feeding is bad. So don’t be in a hurry to move them on to the next size food item. Take your time and make sure no food item is a struggle. Remember these snakes have a slow metabolism and the last thing you want is regurge from a prey item to big. Always warm the prey on a heat mat once thawed so there is a heat signature. In regard to heating, YOU MUST USE A THERMOSTAT ON ANY HEATING EQUIPMENT. Take in account if placed in a sunny room how the sun can raise temps as well. The cage is best placed where direct sunlight cannot get into the cage and raise the temp beyond what is tolerable for the snakes. Many snakes are killed due to this mistake. Run the heat mats outside the cage up the back so the snakes do not get confused with heat signatures. In regard to lighting in your neonate cage, I find that natural daylight of the room is fine. One more thing in regard to feeding, never feed more than 3 times without seeing poo, if this happens it could point to an obstruction. If your ETB hasn’t gone, back off from the food and increase the humidity spraying and humidity can encourage the snake to defecate.
If happy these snakes will simply during the day sit on there perch comfortable and then be more active at night. They are not the most active snakes but are fascinating none the less.
A couple of points to remember, handling must be kept to a minimum and removable perches aid in this greatly, if you need to take an adult out, be slow, gentle and use a hook. The snake will feel much more comfortable having a anchor point. Remember these snakes have extremely large teeth which will hurt A LOT if bitten, and remember your hand will look like a food source so be careful. You will learn that cage maintenance is better done during the day when the snake is sleepy; you will see a different snake at night.
Written by Peter Blake
Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of these care sheets, we acknowledge that differences of opinion do exist within the reptile world. Therefore we do encourage you do read around this topic further and discuss it with known keepers and breeders.
If you feel that we have made any errors, please feel free to contact any member of the team and we will endeavour to research the subject at hand further.
Photograph by Angi Nelson