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This page is about the intriguing Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus Hortulanus Hortulanus)


  • Amazon tree Boas (Corallus hortulanus hortulanus) occurs in the Guianas, Amazonia, and south-eastern Brazil (to the Tropic of Capricorn)
  • Amazon Tree Boas are found in a wide variety of habitats. They are common in arboreal regions with high humidity, especially Amazon rainforest. They can also be found in dry areas such as savannahs or dry forests (Huang 2006).
  • Most Amazon Tree Boa specimens studied are found 1 to 2 m or more above the ground in trees or other vegetation. They have also been observed active on the ground. Amazon tree boas are also relatively common along rivers
  • Adults can reach lengths of up to 6 feet [2m] and are a very slender species due to their arboreal nature.
  • Amazon Tree Boas are well known for its highly variable colour and patterns. They have small, claw-like remnants of vestigial hind limbs in the cloacal region. Their base colour varies from pale tan to black, with yellowish and reddish tinges. They are marked by a series of blotches or bands that are often broader in the middorsal area. The head has five dark stripes that extend from the eyes. The venter colour is also variable, from cream to reddish brown, and either with or without darker markings. The eyes can be yellowish, greyish, or reddish, and they have a reflective membrane that results in eye shine at night. The tongue is black. Males and females are similar in size and markings.
  • Amazon Tree Boas are a naturally aggressive species. These animals also have very long needle-like teeth which makes their bite quite painful. However these snakes tend to give some warning of being inclined to bite, and will usually give fairly gentle bites (which can still draw blood) unless they are given reason to give a full strike. When manipulated, it may form into a ball, constrict and rotate the body. They are solitary and may be active at night and during the day.
  • Male snakes also have spurs under their tail by the vent (the bony remainder of the hips and back legs) and will flail their bodies to bring these into play. The spurs are also used to assist in mating.
  • Amazon tree boas hunt at night using their infrared sensitivity or during the day using vision. They are typically ambush hunters, sitting on a branch with the front part of their body hanging in an S-shaped curve from the branch. They can strike at prey that are a surprising distance from themselves.
  • As with all snakes they are carnivorous and their diet mainly consists of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles.

    Click HERE for a Amazon Tree Boa care sheet.