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Amazon Tree Boas... tell me EVERYTHING!

Posted By:

Tea

People, I hereby call upon all of you experienced in any way, shape or form, to tell me anything and everything you feel I would need to know as a potential owner of an Amazon tree boa.
I have a Viv at home that I'm pretty sure would do one nicely. I am well versed with keeping snakes but branching into something like this i.e. arboreal, not so commonly kept (in this country at least) as your usual corns, other boas, various pythons etc is going to be new ground for me. now, usually I would do all my homework thoroughly and have everything set-up and ready (and this case is no different in that respect) but this time, I have seen mixed reviews about these animals. Some people have said they're amazing, others have said they're not worth bothering with. Obviously it's down to individual tastes but I want to get some first hand info from owners or those who have had contact with them about what they are like to keep. Here are a few of the questions I have on my mind so you can gauge what kind of info I'm after and, if you can, add to it :)

- What are they like temperament wise? I'm not after a snake I can cuddle, aggressive doesn't really faze me, I'd just like to know all the same.
- What are they like with feeding? Notoriously picky or piggish?
- Are they generally hardy or pretty delicate?
- What sort of size do they reach thus what sort of size viv would be suitable for an adult? I'm just making sure the one I have is suitable.

Throw some snake reviews at me ;)


Points:	50
Topics:	Caging , Caging Plans , Heating
Tags:	ATB, Corallus
Species:	Boas > Arboreal Boas > Corallus hortulanus
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Assisted Answer

10/28/2008 3:41:41 PM

LokisKafka

i was looking at them before i found this site.... I really enjoyed this guys page on them and as various and beautiful as they are i wouldnt think the would be a waste of time

http://www.amazontreeboa.org/treeboa.html

most things i have read says they are good feeders but prefer to feed at night.
Good luck

Member Comment

10/28/2008 4:20:54 PM

FyreFocks

My first ATB was a pet store rescue. She was emaciated and covered stuck shed. She wouldnt eat. I got a hold of a friend of mine and she recommended that i keep her in a 3gal UTZ pretzel jar. 3in of water and some holes in the lid. I placed the jar next to the hear lamp on my day geckos enclosure and that kept the jar warm and humid. After 2 months of trial and error, she calmed down and finally ate. She was tame and became one of my best feeders. I put her in a 30gal with a giant water dish and a few perches. Temps in the low 90s and high humidity (85%).

My second ATB was a baby who died unexpectedly. Her temps and humidity were good and she ate every week for me. One week she refused to eat and then she shed. I figured she would eat again the following week. Instead, she passed away for unknown reasons.

While they can be tricky, i would have to say that they are a very rewarding species to keep and eventually i will own another one.

Member Comment

10/28/2008 8:23:42 PM

Charles

Well to answer your questions, I find Amazon Tree Boas to rather rewarding. I would definitely go with a captive born animal rather than wild caught. They are fairly easy to acclimate and are not much different than keeping other boids. Proper humidity and temps also given them proper perch sites that are different than other arboreal snakes like the Emerald Tree Boa and Green Tree Python. The snakes mention use a single perch to drape their coils over. That doesn't mean 1 perch per enclosure just a single perch at a time. With amazons they tend to drape themselves over a few different perches which has been referred to as the three point contact( I think Danny Menedez calls it that). They are a fairly easy species to maintain given proper the environment. I would checkout http://www.amazon-alliance.com/ there is a wealth of knowledge on that forum, and any questions you have will certainly be answered. They make beautiful display animals but rest assured they are not the cuddly type. I can answer more specific questions if you have them. Feel free to email me through iherp. Good Luck!!! Take care, Charles Koutris

Member Comment

10/28/2008 9:18:59 PM

Snaketopolis

Tea, I'll try to answer a couple of questions for you (the answers may be a little bias tho). :) - What are they like temperament wise? Mean as all HELL!!!! With some exceptions to the rule as always. - What are they like with feeding? They are absolute chow hounds. The only times i've ever seen an Amazon not eat was because it was a sick import or a stubborn baby. - Are they generally hardy or pretty delicate? They are very hardy, even imports do very well most of the time. - What sort of size do they reach thus what sort of size viv would be suitable for an adult? Adult females will grow to around six feet plus or minus, males a little smaller. As far as thickness goes, probably as thick as your wrist. As for viv size, they are very active snakes so I say some where around 36x24x24 is perfect for an adult. A couple of other things. We keep the snake room around 85 up to around 90 or so in the summer during the day, and night time lows run between 70 and 80 depending on what time of year it is. You should also mist once or twice a day depending on how well your viv holds humidity. I hope this helped out. Oh and one other thing.....AMAZONS RULE !!!!!!

Member Comment

10/28/2008 9:22:13 PM

Joseph Jenkins

I don't know too much about them, but we had one in the shop, and it was aggressive, then again i have held not so aggressive ones at shows. They are a less hefty snake, so we always fed it 2-3 small food items back to back. I like them better than the gtp, for no real reason except for color and i am always for the less recognized species.

good luck

Member Comment

10/29/2008 9:04:30 AM

Riain

I've become quite a fan of these snakes, It's all my ATB Rains fault though, She's so easy. So far all my amazon experience comes from keeping her, but she's a Great eater, Feeding on One F/T adult mouse every 7-10 days, she seems to like her meals warm, so I usualy heat the mice up with a blow dryer, and takes them from tongs.

As for handling, take a look at my pictures holding rain, she's great out of her enclosure, very defensive inside it, but this probaly has alot to do with her being fed inside her tank, as well as the lack of an escape route. I think with time and patience most animals will calm down some, but they do seem to have a certain reputation to them.

Chances are if I end up getting really into one type of snake it'll be these.

All in all I think I must agree with Snaketopolis on this one... AMAZONS RULE !!!!!!

Member Comment

10/29/2008 10:51:10 AM

JohnJohn

I have no experience with tree boa's but I've certainly been tempted. I've seen some real beautiful ones. I do think they will continue to grow in popularity. Some of them are pricy. I think they would be an awesome breeding project if you're so inclined.

Damn-it....now you're gonna get me all hot and bothered about ATBs!!!!

How about the size of the tank....I suppose it would be better to have a taller arborial tank. I have a "regular" 40 gallon and been wondering what I should put in it. hhhhmmmm maybe I should consider an ATB.

Member Comment

10/29/2008 11:08:19 AM

JohnJohn

Hey. Can I add to your questions here? What about keeping more than one in an enclosure together? Do they live well together? I imagine that maybe they would not. But, If I were to ever consider adding ATBs to my collection, I have to think about space. I have room for maybe two tall arborial enclosures and have considered starting a project to build two "home-made" arborial enclosures. I guess what I was pondering was two females in one enclosure and one lucky male in a second enclosure. Anyone have any thoughts about that?

Tea, thanks for starting this post. I think there's a lot of interest in ATBs out there!

Member Comment

10/29/2008 7:38:34 PM

Riain

I'm personaly against mixing snakes, I have my reasons, but anyone determined to save space and money will find an excuse to ignore them, and do it anyway.

While I have seen it done with ATBs, if your interested in breeding i'd follow all the major ATB breeders examples and have one snake per cage.
Especially if you plan on feeding in the tank, (I feed inside the tank for my atb, but all other snakes get fed outside there tanks, It can be rather stressful for the snakes to forcibly remove them from a perch.)

I'm personaly debating building another vertical viv and picking up a male at one of these upcoming shows myself.

Accepted Answer

10/29/2008 9:34:25 PM

MegF

I keep quite a few ATB's and love them. They vary in temperament but are definitely a very alert, quick snake. I find captive born and bred to be more docile than w/c stuff although the mother of the first litter I had and one male are both very easy to handle. I even took the female over for the vet to see as he's never seen an Amazon before. He held her and she hung out on his arm for about a half hour. All arboreals get fed inside the tanks. Arboreals do not feed well if you remove them. They tend to eat from the perch. I NEVER put animals together unless it's for breeding purposes. The problems are too many to list here. Not worth the risk in my book. ATB's do not need tall cages. I house them in exactly the same enclosures as my Chondros are housed in. Adults are in 36" long by 24" by 24". Babies are housed in shoeboxes and then go to rubbermaid tubs until they are large enough for a full sized enclosure...usually at a year and a half of age or so. Adults are around 5 ft. or so, although they can get longer, but they are very slender snakes. They are quite hardy and even imports tend to do well, unlike chondros. Mine are pigs for eating and rarely refuse. Some will before shed or during breeding season, but otherwise they take f/t mice or african rats no problem. I don't feed as often though, so perhaps that's why. I only feed every 2 weeks. They are an awesome species and definitely will grow on you. The colors they come in are quite varied and spectacular. No two are the same!

Author Comment

10/30/2008 4:44:23 AM

Tea

Wow, thanks guys, I knew I could count on you to answer my questions :D I have to admit, it's their faces and build that have captured my attention... those eyes! But anyway, I've got quite a lot to go on now... thanks again. If anyone has anything to add, please do!

Member Comment

10/30/2008 8:24:00 AM

JohnJohn

Yes, Thanks for this nice thread. I learned a lot as ususal. If I ever go for ATBs, I know who to talk too.

Author Comment

10/30/2008 8:27:29 AM

Tea

Glad I'm not the only one who got something out of it!

Member Comment

11/11/2008 12:37:07 AM

coralluslove

i own a yellow phase amazon and care for many at my work, everything from neo's to adults. one of the best attributes of this snake is the suprisingly small size of enclosure needed, a six foot adult can live and thrive in a standard 20-30 gallon vertically oriented tank. the one thing you want for your amazon is lost of space for you to work in the enclosure. a screened top tends to not work so well, large front doors on a tank is much easier, this way u can clean the tank, mist and extract the boa with ease. cbb specimens can absolutely be accustomed to handling, now i am not saying that it wont bite cause that is never a guarantee with this species but it will tame down to the point that they are manageble. live plants are amazing for humidity witch is a must for atb's, shedding one out by hand can result in many nipps. i personaly love this speices there colors are amazing and there sometimes difficult personalitys are always a chalenge.

Member Comment

10/6/2009 3:28:21 AM

bwaffa

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