Emerald Tree Boa

Emerald Tree Boa Wildlife Conservation Society

Lifestyle

Emerald tree boas blend easily into the foliage of the South American rainforests they call home. With their powerful bodies, they slither from branch to branch and rarely descend to the ground. The boas ambush their prey from above, hanging downward to land an unsuspecting meal. These snakes are not venomous.

Food

These carnivorous snakes hunt at night. They eat birds and small mammals, such as rodents, squirrels, and bats.

Life Cycle

In general, emerald tree boas are solitary, with males and females typically coming together to breed only every other year. Like all boas, these snakes give birth to live young. A female’s gestation period lasts 6–7 months, and she typically produce 5¬–12 babies per litter. The newborn snakes are red or yellow at birth, and turn green by the time they are 1 year old. Life expectancy is approximately 20 years.

WCS Conservation Efforts

WCS conservationists work on the ground to protect Latin America’s most spectacular wild places, including the rainforests of the Amazon Basin where emerald tree boas live.