Amazon tree boa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amazon tree boa
Juvenile in Ecuador
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Corallus
Species:	hortulana
Synonyms
Synonyms List Coluber hortulanus Linnaeus, 1754 [Boa] Hortulana Linnaeus, 1758 [Boa] Enydris Linnaeus, 1758 Boa hortulana Linnaeus, 1766 Vipera bitis Laurenti, 1768 Vipera madarensis Laurenti, 1768 [Coluber] madarensis Gmelin, 1788 [Coluber] Bitis Gmelin, 1788 Boa Merremii Sentzen, 1796 Boa Ambleocephala Donndorff, 1798 Boa Merremi Schneider, 1801 Boa obtusiceps Bechstein, 1802 Boa elegans Daudin, 1803 Corallus obtusirostris Daudin, 1803 Xiphostoma ornatum Wagler, 1824 Xiphostoma dorsuale - Wagler, 1824 X[iphosoma]. hortulanum Fitzinger, 1826 [Xiphosoma] Merremii Wagler, 1830 Boa modesta Reuss, 1830 Boa hortulana Schlegel, 1837 Corallus maculatus Gray, 1842 Corallus hortulanus Gray, 1842 Xiphosoma hortulanum A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1844 Corallus hortulanus Boulenger, 1893 Boa hortulana Ihering, 1911 Boa hortulana Griffin, 1916 Boa enydris enydris Stull, 1935 Corallus enydris Forcart, 1951 Corallus enydris enydris Forcart, 1951 Corallus hortulanus hortulanus Roze, 1966 Corallus enydris Henderson, 1993 Corallus hortulanus McDiarmid, Touré & Savage, 1996

Corallus hortulana, commonly known as the Amazon tree boa, common tree boa, garden tree boa, and macabrel, is a boa species found in South America. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all boas, it is non-venomous.

Description

Adults grow to an average of 5 and 6.5 feet (1.5–2 m) in length. This species exhibits an immense variety of colors and patterns. The basic color can be anywhere from black, brown, or gray, to any shade of red, orange, yellow, or many colors in between. Some are totally patternless, while others may be speckled, banded, or saddled with rhomboid or chevron shapes. Some reds will have yellow patterns, some yellows red or orange patterns. Generally, there are two color 'phases' that are genetically inherited, but are not ontogenic as with the emerald tree boa (C. caninus) and the southern green tree python (Morelia viridis). The 'garden phase' refers to boas with drab coloration, mostly brown or olive, with varied patterning, while the 'colored phase' refers to animals with combinations of red, orange, and yellow coloring.

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  adult in Peru

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  juvenile in Peru

Geographic range

The range of Corallus hortulana extends through the Amazon rainforest of South America, including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.

Typically found below 300 m elevation. They can be found in a variety of habitats, but are strictly an arboreal species.

Captivity

While Amazon tree boas are encountered relatively frequently in the pet industry, they have a notoriously irritable temperament, do not hesitate to bite, and have very specific care requirements. As such, they are not recommended for inexperienced keepers.

See also

In Spanish: Boa arborícola amazónica para niños