Every purchase made through our affiliate links earns us a pro-rated commission without any additional cost to you. Here are more details about our affiliate disclosure.
13. Emerald Tree Boa
This snake is found in many places in South America, including along the Amazon River. The average length is around 6 feet, but they can grow up to 9 feet.
They eat mostly small mammals, but they occasionally eat birds, lizards, and frogs. They can go several months without eating due to their slow metabolism.
Although they are completely unrelated species, Emerald Tree Boas appear very similar to the Green Tree Python, which is closely related to the High Yellow Green Tree Python.
There is a tendency for specimens from the Amazon River basin to grow the largest, to be much more docile than their Northern relatives, and to attain lengths of 7–9 feet (2.1–2.7 m), while the overall average size is closer to 6 feet (1.8 m).
In Peru, they tend to have darker colors towards the southern end of their range. Specimens from the Amazon Basin usually have an uninterrupted white dorsal line, as opposed to those from Guyana and Surinam (called “Guyana Shields” or “Northern” emerald tree boas).
In addition, Amazon Basin specimens have smaller snout scales than their Northern, Southern, and Western counterparts, such as those found in Surinam, Venezuela, Bolivia, and French Guiana.
