Starter Kits Special Offer! -50% OFF ALL LIVESTOCK

Due to its immense popularity last year, we are continuing with our 50% OFF ALL LIVESTOCK when purchased with one of our full starter kits. This covers any animal/group of animals up to £300 in value, for animals over £300 you still get £150 off their standard price when purchased with a full starter kit. Offer valid 01/01/25 until 31/03/25.

Amazon tree boas (Corallus hortulana) often simply abbreviated to ATB’s are a popular arboreal species due to their relatively small size and wide variety of colours. Native to the southern parts of Central America and northern parts of South America this species can be found in a wide variety of habitats but are most prevalent in humid tropical forests. They are often found along stream edges and although they spend most of their time a few meters off the floor in amongst the trees they can at times be found hunting or moving around down at ground level.

They are primarily nocturnal and will hunt for small vertebrates at night, they have been recorded eating a varied diet from amphibians and smaller reptiles to mammals and birds, (they have even been recorded eating fish). They will consume relatively large prey for their size, often eating prey items weighing 40-50% as much as their own bodyweight and have been recorded eating prey almost the same weight as themselves.

During the day they may rest in tree hollows, or they are often on display simply draped in amongst branches in their enclosure. Rarely do they sit curled over a single branch like some other arboreal species (e.g green tree pythons).

They are a slender species and although they can regularly reach 5ft in length they are often no more than 1.5inches in diameter. They come in a wide variety of colours, the genetics behind the inheritance of these colours is still being debated. There are the “Garden Phase” and “Halloween Phase” which are predominantly brown or olive coloured as adults. Then there are a variety of more brightly coloured phases including yellow, orange and red. There are also variations in markings including a Patternless variant and banded / tiger striped individuals. The normal patterning shows irregular markings throughout the body and with stripes on the head.  Like all Boa’s they give birth to live young, they do this once per year, often in the summer months and a single litter of offspring is normally somewhere from 8-15 young which can all show different variations of colours and patterns. Breeding two colourful adults together normally results in a much higher proportion of colourful babies but it is not a guarantee, and occasionally colourful offspring can be produced by relatively plain looking parents.

Amazon Tree Boa’s are a hardy species and often the best starter species of arboreal snake. Once established feeding when young they remain good feeders throughout the year, rarely slowing down for more than the odd week in wintertime. They can be a bit nippy when young but with gentle and regular handling they will become tame as adults (just expect to get the odd nip along the way), our adults in store are very tame. Because they are more active and hunt at night, we would recommend handling during the day rather than at night when they are more likely to be in hunting mode.