I know some of you are into snakes :)

[Mantellaprince20]

Hey all,

I am looking into getting myself some amazon tree boa's. I definitely am only looking for cbb. Anyway, who here has worked with a tree boa species? if you have worked with this species, how would you rate their temperment? How big do they generally get??

Don't think I am taking the easy way out, I am also researching them , I just wanted those opinions of people that have raised or had some experience with them. Next step is getting my wife prepared for a snake in the house.......oh brother... lol

ed parker

[joshsfrogs]

Next step is getting my wife prepared for a snake in the house

Flowers, chocolate, doing all the household chores, a lot of begging, and have the local marriage counselors on speed dial should things turn for the worse. You are a brave man.

[Chondroholic]

You came to the right place with that question.lol. I am probably one of the biggest arboreal snake fanatics you will find anywhere. Anyways, ATB's are a very good beginner snake IMO. I have worked with many ATB's and only 2 or 3 wouldn't eat consistently. As long as they have a couple branches to perch on and relatively high levels of humidity a couple times a week, they do great. The only downfall to them is they bite anything and everything that touches them. lol. It won't really matter what you do, it is just about impossible to tame one down to say the temperment of a corn snake. So, with that said, when you buy one of these you WILL get bit! These guys are more of a "look-at" species. They should be fed a diet of healthy f/t mice or rats. They generally reach an average length of 4-6 ft, although they stay very slender compared to most other boids.
On a side note, I have also worked with emerald tree boas, solomon island tree boas, and green tree pythons. I would definitely recommend keeping an ATB for a little while and getting used to their care before venturing into the other guys above. Emerald Tree Boas are generally very sensitive to incorrect conditions. If the humidity is off, they won't shed right, may not eat for you, etc. They should eat a diet of mice or rats, but should be fed less often than most other snakes. They take much longer to digest and defecate, and if you feed to often, you will be guaranteed to have a comstipated snake and/or possibly regurgitation. Temps should be around 80-88 degrees. They need very high humidity most of the day, and will suffer if not given the correct humidity. Don't get me wrong, they are great snakes, just a species that I wouldn't recommend to a first time snake owner. Solomon Island tree boas are also relatively sensitive to humidity and temps, and are also hard to feed when young as most individuals will only take lizards. They are only now beginning to be bred in captivity, so if you can get a cbb neonate, feeding may not be an issue. Green tree pythons, IMO, are the best living things on the planet!LOL. I am completely and utterly obsessed with this species. They are not too hard to keep, high points of humidity are needed daily, temps should be around 80-88 degrees. Feeding is usually very easy when dealing with cb individuals. They should be fed a diet of mice and rats like everything else. I have noticed (and so have many others)that mice are much easier for the snake to digest. This may be attributed to the larger bone mass in rats when compared to mice of equal size. They come in just about any color(s). Feel free to ask any more ?'s!

PS- Here are some links to care info you might want to try:
http://chondroweb.com/
http://www.finegtps.com/
http://gemsoftherainforest.com/index.html
http://corallus.com/
http://www.boakingdom.com/treeboa.html

[Jordan B]

I second the biting aspect. If you want a tamer arboreal snake a Green Tree Python might be something to consider, as they can usually be tamed down. They are a good bit more expensive though. While they do get 4-6 feet as an arboreal snake they never really seem that big (though 4-6 feet is pretty small anyway).

Jordan

[Ed Martin]

Ed, I'm ageing myself here but I kept a couple a long (18 – 20 years) time ago. They were WC adults , and loaded with parasites, but once that was treated they did well. Again this might only hold true to WC animals, but they were very aggressive. Maybe that is not a good word to use… they were very defensive. Anytime anything came into the enclosure they bit, and it never went away even though I had them for 6 or 7 years. Back in those days there were a lot more WC snakes on the market than there are today and most of the snakes acclimated to handleing for cage cleaning and things like that, the tree boas never did. CB animals might be different.

I kept them in an arboreal enclosure very similar to my PDF setups with a few horizontal branches placed close together, a soil substrate and one or 2 very sturdy plants. The humidity was not as high as my PDF enclosures but it was still pretty high. I really liked them, and would not mind getting some again. They are beautiful, interesting snakes.


PS. I was posting this while the other guys were but it seems like the biting aspect is the same even for CB

Ed.

[Mantellaprince20]

Thanks for all the replies guys . as moderator, I may have to edit some of your posts, then let my wife read them . So, you guys were saying they were NOT biters at all, right, sweethearts in general . Just in case my wife reads, LOL.

FOr reals though, they are intriguing me more than ever. Chondro, what is a good price range do you think for young "colorful" snakes. I am wanting a red/orange/yellow snake (any solid or combo of these will do). Also, where is the best place to look? I am definitely going with the amazon boa though. Snake bites are the only way to feel alive I guess, . It will make for some pretty grizzly stories though.

Thanks again for all the help guys, I am thinking a 55 gallon vert or 75 gallon vert to give them more horizontal space, and to attain a good humidity level. Then just plant it like I would a dart frog tank, only with larger plants. Well, this is a summer project, so plenty of research left to do. Thanks again ,

ed parker

[Jordan B]

There was an article in Reptiles Magazine a few months back on small trees that are good for arboreal boas, I can try to dig it up for you if you want Ed.

[Chondroholic]

Ed- For the more colorful ATB's, you are probably looking at between $150 and $400. I know it's a wide range, but it really depends on who you buy from. Many people seem to overprice them IMO, but I have seen plenty advertised on Kingsnake on the lower end that look just as nice as the higher priced ones.
For example, I had one a couple months back that was almost solid pink! I had bought it from a friend who produced it for $25. I then sold it back to him for $50 because he wanted one of his babies from that year and had regretfully sold all the others. Later on he sold it for $350 and it had not changed or grown much since it was originally in my care.

[Mantellaprince20]

Hey jordan, if you do find it, let me know. Even if you know what issue it is, I can probably get my hands on it .

Brian, is your friend still breeding them?? $25 is a screaming deal for a hot pink snake. My wife may even go for that, lol . I have never worked with snake breeders, so any info on who is good would be great as well. Thanks for all your help, you will be getting more questions in the near future

ed parker

[Chondroholic]

Ed- My friend is no longer breeding them. He recently decided to make his collection chameleon only. As far as good breeders, I would recommend:
http://www.arborealsetc.com/
http://www.albinonile.com/
http://www.amazonreptile.com/