GENERAL INFORMATION
ATB's are found throughout South America and parts of Central America. No other snake shows the infinite colors and patterns of the Amazon Tree Boa.
The Amazon Tree Boa is not a snake to have out on a regular basis, it is more for those who love the "look" of an aboreal snake than those that want something to handle. The young can be handled quite easily as they have small mouths, but adults should be handled with care as they are quite nippy. Either using a snake stick or by simply picking up the branch they are upon you can move them for cleaning and maintenance.
HOUSING
The cage for an Amazon Tree Boa must be able to retain humidity. Cages that have too much ventilation will allow the humidity to evaporate too quickly. Cages without enough ventilation will develop fungal and bacterial growth and the snake will become ill. It is also important to have some type of perches/branches. They seem to be more comfortable when several points of their body is in contact with some sort of surface. It is not uncommon for captive bred Amazons to spend a portion of their time coiled up on the cage floor. Most neonate
ATB's will spend up to 65% of their time curled up on the enclosure floor; often seeking out a hide box or burying themselves in the substrate
A high enclosure is a must for this species, containing lots of branches and cover such as plastic plants, a large water bowl or tray should be supplied to help maintain a fairly high humidity. The neonates should be housed in small vivariums or tubs and branches or perches should be present
LIGHTING
Currently, UV light has not been scientifically proven to be required for snakes. A 10 to 12 hour photoperiod can be produced using a standard incandescent bulb. However snakes will likely strike at anything that is too hot. I recommend if lighting is inside the enclosure make sure the light fixture is enclosed in wire mesh to protect the snake from accidental burns. Changing the schedule to 6 hours on and 18 hours off, during the brumation period (hibernation light) is recommended. Florescent of incadescent lighting can be used.
HEATING
Temperatures for Amazon Tree Boas should be kept at 80 to 82 degrees during the day time with a drop to the upper 70's for night time. Make sure they have a basking area that is in the upper 80's when they feed as it aids in digestion!
HUMIDITY
To maintain the humidity in the cage one should spray the cage twice a day morning and afternoon. This will allow the cage to dry out overnight. If the snakes do not properly dry overnight skin infection may form and can be detrimental to the snakes health The humidity will rise immediately following a spray and will reach 80 - 90% but will then fall until the next spray. Making sure that the animal is misted on daily basis will assist with the shedding process. During propagation misting should be increased to 4 times daily.
FEEDING
On the whole Amazon Tree Boas are normally problem free as far as feeding goes, however, there are sometimes the picky eaters. Warmed prey is very rarely refused. It is advisable to feed the snake out of the cage as it will not associate your hand going into the cage as food. Do not feed prey that is too large for the snake as regurgitation may occur. Try to keep the prey size to the diameter of the thickest part of the snakes body. As most snakes, they will usually stop eating when they are due to shed. If two snakes are housed in the same cage when being fed watch them very carefully until all prey items are eaten.
ATB's have been known to mistakenly attack and kill their cage-mates while going for prey. I feed my adult
ATB's 2 medium-large sized rats every 2 weeks.
Neonates should be offered small rat pups, ‘baby rats,’ or large pinks, ‘baby mice.’ I feed them 2 pinkies every other week. Neonates can be tricky starters and may need enticing with lizards or small frogs, mice scented with lizard usually works as well. Try to avoid feeding them frogs or lizards as bacterial infections due occur as well as stomach parasites.
BREEDING
Mating starts in the wild from February to June and the neonates are born six to seven months later (200-250 days later) From August through to November. Litters can be upwards of 20 born. Amazon tree boas give birth to live young. In captivity the are somewhat difficult to get to breed as you must pay close attention to every detail. I start by dropping the night time temperatures from the 78 to 70 degrees gradually. I also double the misting cycle and keep it very wet. This signals to the snakes that the rainy season is upon them and it is time to breed. Remember there is no winter in the jungle. They have rainy season and dry season
CLOSING
This is just a basic outline of how i take care of my tree boas. They are a very rewarding snake to have in your collection. If you can take care of
ATB's successfully then you can take care of just about any snake. I hope you guys find this information useful. If you have anything you would like to add or any questions for me id be more than willing to help. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
They work really well to hold in humidity. Be sure and drill/burn holes into them though, too much humidity ends up growing mold and fungus, which could be harmful to Amazons.
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