Reptiles · Squamata · Boidae

Emerald Tree Boa

Corallus caninus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The emerald tree boa is an arboreal constrictor of intense green with white lines along the back, which spends the day coiled in symmetrical loops over a horizontal branch with its head in the centre. At night it hunts by ambush: it hangs the front part of its body in a hook shape and strikes at the birds and rodents that pass underneath.

Weight

1 kg – 1.8 kg

Size

1.5 m – 2.1 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Rainforest

12countries 27parks11same family

Fun facts

biologíaIt lives in the trees of the Amazon, its deep green hiding it almost completely among the leaves; the young are born orange or red before they change colour.
Its resting posture is unmistakable: it coils its body into stacked, perfectly symmetrical loops over a branch, with its head resting in the centre, an image that has made this species an icon of nature photography.
It senses heat with labial pits so sensitive that it can locate and strike a bird in total darkness, guided only by its thermal signature.
Its front teeth are the longest of any non-venomous snake in proportion to the skull, adapted to pierce the dense plumage of birds before gripping them.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Canopy of lowland rainforest of the Amazon basin and the Guianas
Sexual maturity: 4 years
Gestation / incubation: 7 months of gestation
Litter / clutch size: 10 live young

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_tree_boa