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Amazon Tree Boa Care: Diet, Price, Colors & More

Amazon tree boa is a pet-friendly snake. Do you want to learn about amazon tree boa care: diet, price, colors& more, then keep reading. But Amazon tree boa cannot be everyone’s cup of tea because there is a massive demand for ball python out in the market. But, in the pet trading industry, Amazon tree boa has been a staple for decades.

However, its colors are very appealing. So if you are a pet snake lover and would love to try difficult handling situations, then Amazon tree boa is perfect for you. They come in different colors. And those colors are not dull. Instead, it is so beautiful, and their skin patterns are wow. They come in different shades of yellow, orange, and red, also in various patterns, making them beautiful snakes. It can be said as the world’s one of the beautiful snakes.

Species Summary

Amazon tree boa is a long, beautiful snake. They are tree-climbing snakes. The beautiful color and pattern of it make it a notable delegate species. Also, it has an exciting personality.

Amazon boa snakes are fearless, which makes us too difficult to handle them. They can be very fearless, and handling them would be a big challenge.

Corallus hortunalus: Amazon Tree Boa

The species name of Amazon tree boa is Corallus hortulanus. It is a non-venomous snake and is majorly found in South Africa, Suriname, and South America. Amazon tree boa comes in different patterns, too, like banded, saddled, speckled, etc.

The variety of colors is it’s one of the genetic traits. Even in colors, there are two color phases in them. The two-color phases are the garden phase and the colored phase.

The Garden phase is boas with brown or olive shades with a variety of patterns. Meanwhile, the colored phase is snakes with yellow, orange, and red shades.

Amazon tree boa is solitary and nocturnal carnivores. They can grow up to 106 cm. Also, these species require special care.

Average Amazon Tree Boa Size

Amazon Tree Boa - Corallus hortulanus

Amazon tree boas are beautiful reptiles. There are no different sizes for males and females in the Amazon tree boa reptile. They both come in the same size.

The average length of the Amazon tree boa is 47-59 inches. But mostly, these snakes are thin. Also, female snakes are pretty thicker than male Amazon tree boa.

Appearance & Colors

Amazon tree boa is a beautiful animal and has a striking personality. It is a beautiful reptile because it comes in different shades and patterns of colors, which makes our eyes soothing. There are brown and black colors of Amazon tree boa, which is the natural variant.

Amazon tree boa

The standard color you see out there in the market is brown, and it will contain an hourglass-shaped pattern. Some of the breeders, to increase the marketing, try to breed more different variants. They use a selective breeding technique.

These techniques result in different color morphs. And hence making it a costly, expensive reptile. Also, these snakes have different, piercing type eyes, which makes them even more attractive. The eyes shine in the light, and it makes them so attractive.

Lifespan

When the Amazon tree boa has been petted with the utmost care, it can live up to 20 years. But, the proper care has to be taken. But it is not the same for all snakes.

Variations might occur. Also, those snakes kept in a medium level of captivity may not live long up to 20 years. Also, in between, various health complications might occur as well.

Ideal Habitat Setup

When you are trying to decor the habitat of Amazon tree boa, make it plain. Because the plain would be sufficient, they don’t need any other extra expensive decor. They usually prefer to live in the lush foliage of rain forests, surrounded by plants and trees.

Corallus hortulanus: Amazon Tree Boa

However, while decoring its captivity, place a hide box and plant branches. Amazon tree boa likes treetops and perches. These hide boxes will help them to hide whenever they feel shy. Also, branches or implementing small trees are necessary.

Because these creatures have a habit of climbing up, but make sure to invest in horizontal branches rather than bunching up with vertical. Amazon tree boas are the fan of moving their body from branches to branches rather than climbing up.

If you are trying to invest in a natural look, it would also do good. Because the area will look quite attractive and you can show off a little. While trying to implement natural decor, invest in materials like coconut fiber, reptile-approved wood, etc.

But these decorations aren’t necessary because cleaning would become a task.

Enclosure Size

They don’t need a big vivarium, as most people think. They need a small enclosure to live. In the wild, they move on to forest canopies. If you are trying to build an enclosure, it needs to be 24 to 36 inches tall.

Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus), Loreto, Peru

Meanwhile, the width should be 18 to 24 inches. But when you are looking for an enclosure, you should keep an eye on cage height because length plays a key role. And, also keep an eye on cage size.

Also, the vivarium should have a front-facing door because it needs proper ventilation. There should be a quality of ventilation, rather than the style of enclosure.

Amazon Tree Boa Care

Okay. Amazon tree boa might be cute and beautiful. But handling and taking care of it is not at all an easy task. It is a difficult task to take care of them. It is of high difficultly. But with the proper procedures, it won’t be a difficult task, rather than an enjoyable thing to do.

You should know and should follow proper guides to take care of Amazon tree boa. It would be most accessible, and you would love it. And won’t face many problems if you take care of it in a professional manner.

Temperature & Lighting

These Amazon tree boa s are cold-blooded reptiles, and hence they can regulate their body temperature by themselves.

But when you are taking care of an Amazon tree boa, you need to maintain some temperature gradient level, to keep them safe and healthy. To do this, install a basking light at the side of the tank.

Amazon Tree Boa

About light, the light should come between 88° F to 93° F. The snake needs proper light throughout the day. Also, you need to give a cool ambient feature for every part of the enclosure.

Humidity

For Amazon, they should have a humidity level of 40 to 70 percent. Mist the enclosure periodically to maintain the humidity level. If you use a porous substrate, it will help in maintaining the humidity levels.

Always use a suitable substrate to maintain and absorb the moisture because the wrong substrate would not be effective. And the humidity level will take a dip, which isn’t suitable for your favorite Amazon tree boa.

Water

Place a medium-sized water dish near its enclosure. Provide plenty of water regularly. Keep a water source near them, and they would sip on it when they get thirsty.

Also, while installing a water dish near its enclosure, be sure to provide clean water because dirty water would make them fall sick. So be careful with it. Changing water will take seconds; meanwhile, it will cost you a lot of time if it gets sick.

Food & Diet

They are the big predators. And feeding Amazon tree boa is not very difficult because they eat almost everything at their sight. In the wild, they eat from lizards to bats.

But, when it’s kept in captivity, they would often have rodents as their primary food. Start with small mice and shift to more giant mice’s when the Amazon tree boas get bigger.

Meanwhile, a snake’s diet should not be larger than 20 percent of its diameter. Also, amazon tree boas feeding patterns and amounts will get changed when it grows. Younger snakes would need to feed once a week.

But the adult snakes would need to feed every 10 to 14 days. But stop overfeeding them because these snakes would eat much if they were given a bulk of the food.

Potential Health Issues

Amazon tree boas would experience several health issues. They will get lots of disorders. So they need to be taken care of very well. Parasites will be the most common enemy for them. Internal and external parasites will destroy the body of a snake.

They are the feeders of snakes’ bodies, and it will not only shorten its life span, but also it would lead to the death of Amazon tree boa. Also, another issue is mites.

They will attach to the snake. It will lead the snake to get soaked in water and scratch its body against other objects. It would help if you cleaned its enclosure once four weeks because a non-hygiene environment would make them prone to bacterial infections.

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Behavior & Temperament

These snakes have exciting personalities. They are very aggressive. And have a high temperament. Also, these snakes are known to bite when they get aggressive. Also, their striking rage is quite impressive.

They form an S shape to gather more power and defend themselves from attacks. But the wild-caught snakes are more aggressive, and they remain to be aggressive forever. It will need you to handle them with utmost care.

Handling Them

Handling Amazon tree boa is difficult. Even the most experienced snake catchers use snake hooks to catch the snakes. Because handling them with bare hands are difficult.

Create a trap inside the hide box or use a snake hook when you try to remove them from their enclosure during the period of cleaning. Because these are very aggressive and have the chance of biting you, so be careful, and this way, you can avoid them biting you.

Time To Get Ready

Okay. Now that you have learned all the factors, I think you are ready to go as an Amazon tree boa snakes owner. Now you can buy and try to pet them.

With a proper diet, shelter you can handle them very well. Just create a suitable enclosure and provide sufficient lighting, and you are ready to go as an Amazon tree boa snakes owner.

Substrate

It would be best to keep these snakes in a slight moisture substrate to increase the humidity level inside the vivarium. There are many substrates available to increase the humidity level. One of them is bark chips. Also, bark chips are very easy to clean as well.

Also, you can use orchid bark, coconut husk, Aspen, or Cypress shavings. You can use butchers paper and newspaper to clean the place. And replace the substrate once a week.

Shedding

All snakes shed their skin. Amazon tree boa isn’t an exception, and they, too, shed their skin. Amazon tree boas shed their skin every couple of weeks when they are young. But when they get old, they don’t shed often, but still, they shed their skin till their death.

Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus) in ecdysis

If the humidity level in the enclosure is too low, snakes will have trouble shedding their skin. When there is no sufficient humidity level maintained, partial shedding may occur.

So it is crucial to have an 80-90% of humidity level. It would be best if you planted a water bowl in its enclosure. The snake will dip itself in it and try to maintain the humidity.

Handling an Amazon Tree Boa

Even though Amazon tree boa s are beautiful, it isn’t easy to handle them. They have exciting, striking personalities. They are well known for their defensive nature. These snakes try to strike at the face because they are so defensive.

So instead of using bare hands to remove the snake from its enclosure, always use a long hook. Bites of Amazon tree boa can draw your blood, but you won’t face severe injuries because their teeth are non-venomous. Imported snakes are more defensive than captive-held snakes.

Breeding Amazon Tree Boas

Amazon tree boas are viviparous; they deliver live babies and do not lay eggs. Amazon tree boas gestation period is between 6 to 8 months.

Because they directly deliver the offspring. You can continue to feed your snakes during the breeding period, but female snakes would try to refuse it. After two months, you should introduce the male snake into the female snake’s enclosure to stimulate the ovulation process.

Usually, in the wild, babies are delivered during the rainy season, and the number of baby snakes ranges from 5 to 20 per litter a year. These babies are 30 cm in length.

Babies of Amazon tree boas are independent. You can place them in different enclosures as soon as they are born.

Conclusion

Amazon tree boas are beautiful creatures. They come in different colors and patterns. Also, they come in colored and dull phases of colors. Also, Amazon tree boas have an exciting dashing personality. They are tough to handle because they can be more defensive and try to strike at you. So the handling and taking care of the snake is complicated.

They won’t listen to you and try to defend you. Always use a snake hook to remove the snakes from one enclosure, do not try to hold them from bare hands. But it is the beautiful snakes, and you can breed them with two different colors and come up with a beautiful color snake.

FAQs

Do Amazon tree boas need hides?

Yes. Amazon tree boas need branches to hang on and a hide box to hide. Usually, these are the common prey of birds, and they need to feel secure by hiding. Also, you should plant the box at the bottom of the enclosure to aid them in hiding when they feel shy. A hide box is necessary for Amazon tree boas. These are arboreal snakes, so branches and a hide box are essential for their enclosure.

What are Amazon tree boas known?

It is one of the unique and beautiful snakes. They are known for their beauty and for living on treetops. It is an arboreal snake, and it loves to spend most of its time wrapped around the branches. These snakes are also known as garden tree boas. They are known to be very aggressive and have long needle-like teeth.

How fast do Amazon tree boas grow?

The growth is prolonged for Amazon tree boas. Amazon tree boas typically take about 3 to 4 years to reach adult size. They grow the most in their first year of life, and then they slow down. They keep growing for the rest of their life because they have an indeterminate growth level.

How big of a tank does a tree boa need?

The tank or vivarium of an Amazon tree boa should be 24 inches long and 36 inches in height. It is because they are not small reptiles, and they can grow up to 1500 mm. They need a huge space to live in because they need a space to move around effortlessly.

About the author

I'm Gulshan, a passionate pet enthusiast. Dive into my world where I share tips, stories, and snapshots of my animal adventures. Here, pets are more than just animals; they're heartbeats that enrich our lives. Join our journey!