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Amazon Tree Boas Care Sheet
The Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus) is a species often overlooked by the
arboreal boid enthusiast. The main reason for this is probably due to the
animal’s volatile behavior as they are well reputed little nippers. But the fact
of the matter is that few if any snake species, come in such highly variable
colors and patterns making this one of the most beautiful display species out
there. Often referred to as The poor man’s emerald, this species makes a great
starter snake for a would be corallus fanatic. Learning how to avoid being
bitten by them is a great prerequisite to have under your belt before moving on
to the larger, (more painful) emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus). And since
care requirements are basically the same, once you’ve mastered these guys you
should have no problems moving on to the bigger boys.
Caging:
Amazon tree boas vary from their larger cousins in that they are not strictly
arboreal in captivity. It is not uncommon for an amazon to spend more than half
of it’s time coiled on the floor of the cage. In an emerald tree boa or chondro
this could be cause for concern but in this case it’s part of normal behavior.
However, they should not spend all of their time on the floor, this could be a
sign of that something is wrong. One reason for an amazon tree boa to spend
considerable time on the floor is that the perches in its enclosure are
inadequate. Unlike emeralds that will utilize one horizontal perch the amazon
tree boa likes to have contact on at least 3 points of its body. By this I mean
that they much prefer a forked branch or crook versus one horizontal perch. In
my enclosures I prefer to utilize a multi branched piece of tree or corkbark
slabs that are suspended by strong wires, typical of a swing. It seems to me
that they seem much more comfortable when they have several points of their
bodies against some sort of surface, they will often not hesitate to coil around
on a ledge that overlooks the enclosure. A cage that’s vertically oriented seems
to be the best for these guys. Something that’s about the equivalent of a 20
gallon extra high tank is fine for an adult animal. A cage at least 24 inches
high and about 36 inches wide and 24 inches deep should be utilized for an adult
pair as a minimum enclosure. I use custom made cages constructed from melamine
for my snakes although I also employ the use of Neodesha 24" cages for some of
the smaller specimens. Whatever cage you decide to use there is one important
factor which you should think about, accessability. Any cage used for these guys
should have a wide, roomy opening for the keeper to work in. This is important
because with most amazon tree boas you will divide the time working in the cage
with dodging dozens of little needle-like teeth on an almost constant basis.
Make sure you have enough room to keep out of reach from those teeth! Often when
dealing with these guys, I get more injuries from reflex dodging the snakes than
any actual bites. However, you must also watch out and make sure that the snake
doesn’t dart out of any large enclosure openings. These guys can really move
when they have to and a quick grab to prevent the animal from escaping will
leave you with either one of two presents, a bunch of small needle-like bite
marks or a freshly excreted, rank smelling mess ejected from those precious
little musk glands that they are so fond of using. As far as cage furnishings
go, I personally prefer a sterile-type environment but one has quite a bit of
freedom when designing and decorating the amazon tree boa’s cage. Live and
plastic plants can look very nice in the enclosure and they will often be
utilized as a resting spot for the snakes. However, much care should be used
when feeding the snake around these decorations as to prevent any possibilities
of accidental ingestion. Same goes with any naturalistic substrates one may opt
for. The feeding responses on some of these guys can be quite savage and in the
frenzy it is not uncommon for them to grab more than their intended prey (watch
those fingers!).
Temperatures:
Temperatures and humidity for this species are almost identical to those
necessary for the Emerald Tree Boa. The main difference is that the amazon tree
boa is a bit more tolerant if conditions should dip below the optimum.
Temperatures within the range of 76F-84F degrees are ideal. I try to attain a
high of about 82F degrees and have a nighttime drop into the upper 70's. During
the breeding season the temps are dropped nightly and bottom out at about 68F
and the humidity is increased significantly. I try to keep an ambient of about
65-70%, this varies greatly when the animals are misted on a daily basis rising
as high as 95% which is especially helpful during the shedding process. Be
careful not to keep the humidity up high for too long as this will promote
fungal and bacterial growth within the cage which could possibly cause
infections in the snake. Lack of proper humidity will create problems such as
respiratory infections and shedding problems, so you have to achieve the perfect
balance.
Feeding:
Feeding these guys can be a tricky process. In my experience I’ve learned that
Amazons swing in one of two directions...they are either very picky feeders
refusing almost anything offered or they will eat everything in sight within 2
minutes of being placed within their cages. Luckily, the bulk of the animals I
encounter tend to fall into the latter category. They will often take frozen
rodents after about 4 or 5 live meals. I prefer prekilled with these guys
because they are physically somewhat fragile, those long slinky bodies are
susceptible to injuries from the relatively large rodent teeth that accompany
their meals. I often feed frozen thawed out mice that are held up to a space
heater or lightbulb for a minute or two. These beauties are especially
thermosensitive, warm prey is very rarely refused. This is also something to
remember when attempting to feed an amazon near the cage’s heat source. The
smell of the introduced prey may elicit a strike at the heat source so make sure
it is well protected in order to prevent any accidental injury to your snake. Be
sure to use the appropriately sized prey item. As a rule I feed the animals a
mouse that’s about the same diameter as the thickest part of the snake’s body.
This little rule of thumb will prevent any regurgitation problems brought on by
a meal that is too large. Amazon Tree Boas have slightly faster metabolisms than
their larger cousins but care should be taken not to overfeed. Be sure that the
snake defecates at least once within a three meal period, if it does not, a warm
bath may be necessary in order to prevent any impaction problems that may occur
as a result of overfeeding. I like to feed my adults every 10-14 days and babies
every 5-7 days, this schedule as worked out nicely for me so far. As far as the
difficult feeders are concerned, it is often trial and error that will determine
what is necessary to get your snake to feed regularly. I’ve often employed the
use of small hylid treefrogs and anoles to get the proper feeding response. They
can either be used to scent an appropriately sized rodent or as actual food for
the snakes. Just be careful when using a frog or anole as food with these guys.
They are often potential vectors for parasite infections. If a snake will only
take other reptiles or amphibians as food you must then immediately begin the
process of switching it over to rodents via scenting or your pet will be at high
risk of a severe parasitical infection. Babies will often need to be started on
small hylid frogs or anoles, but they will usually begin feeding on rodents
readily within the first 3 meals or so. This is especially true of the animals
hailing from the northernmost portions of hortuanus’ range, for some reason
these guys are especially fond of frogs.
Care must be taken when feeding animals that are housed communally. I have seen
many cases where one snake is accidentally killed by another when 2 animals go
for the same prey item or when one tries to steal food from another. It is best
to feed these guys separately or at least to closely monitor them until every
last bit of evidence of a prey item is gone. One must also be careful when
housing babies together as I have experienced some cannibalism in communally
housed babies. If possible, keep all babies separated from each other especially
during feeding time. Finally there’s watering. I have witness my animals
drinking from water bowls many times however it is very important that the bowls
be readily accessible to them. I employ the use of very large water bowls that
may cover up to 2/3 of the actual cage floor. When supplied with a water bowl
like this, the snakes will often utilize it to soak in when going through the
shedding process. Water can also be supplied via suspended water bowls in
similar fashion as to what is recommended for emeralds. One important thing to
remember though is that even if you do use a large water bowl this should not be
a substitute for daily misting. Misting is vital to the health and well being of
these guys as they will often drink from their coils when given the opportunity
to do so.
Overview:
Overall, I highly encourage anyone looking for a wonderful display animal to get
an amazon tree boa. With a moderate size and infinite color variability this
species makes an incredible vivarium subject. Once you get around their raspy
personality you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the relative intelligence
displayed by these creatures as well as the ease and rewards associated with the
proper maintenance. Although they are notorious for their dispositions a tame
amazon is not unheard of, many babies can easily be accustomed to handling. It
all depends on how much time the owner is willing to spend with their pet. A
word of caution about this species though, due to their attractive coloration
and affordability, they can become quite addictive so be prepared.
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