My First Boa!

lilwyandry · 07-27-11, 06:10 AM

Good Morning! I'm the proud new owner of a gorgeous Emerald Tree Boa! This is our first boa, since we've always been the arboreal python type. There's such a wide variety of information of proper care and how to's on this animal, that I wondered if I could get some personal experience information from anyone out there. He's the most docile Emerald I've ever seen, and when he came into the shop I just had to have him. Here's Buddy

And his/her enclosure

Sorry, it's a lousy cell phone picture. Anyways, there's a ceramic heat emitter on the top that gets the hot side right around 85-87, the cool side is generally in the mid 70's. Humidity spikes to 85-90 in the morning and when I mist him again at night and than drops to the 40s overnight. The tank is a screen side and top Oceanic that's about 12x30x30. I picked it up at a reptile show for $40 and knew someday that I was going to have the perfect thing to put in it. Let me know if there's anything you believe I should change or tweak differently, supported by your own experience of course, I could read care sheets all day. Thanks so much!

stephanbakir · 07-27-11, 07:21 AM

If you cover the screen top about 50-80% with something non porous, it will keep the humidity up a little at night, not sure if 40% is low for them.

gmcountryboy · 08-07-11, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilwyandry

Good Morning! I'm the proud new owner of a gorgeous Emerald Tree Boa! This is our first boa, since we've always been the arboreal python type. There's such a wide variety of information of proper care and how to's on this animal, that I wondered if I could get some personal experience information from anyone out there. He's the most docile Emerald I've ever seen, and when he came into the shop I just had to have him. Here's Buddy

And his/her enclosure

Sorry, it's a lousy cell phone picture. Anyways, there's a ceramic heat emitter on the top that gets the hot side right around 85-87, the cool side is generally in the mid 70's. Humidity spikes to 85-90 in the morning and when I mist him again at night and than drops to the 40s overnight. The tank is a screen side and top Oceanic that's about 12x30x30. I picked it up at a reptile show for $40 and knew someday that I was going to have the perfect thing to put in it. Let me know if there's anything you believe I should change or tweak differently, supported by your own experience of course, I could read care sheets all day. Thanks so much!

Hello where did you buy him/her from?

gmcountryboy · 08-07-11, 04:34 PM

Hello i am also looking to buy and emerald tree boa, so where did you get him/her from? Price range?

Onyx Cross · 08-07-11, 06:03 PM

Beautiful boa, I love Emeralds.
Congrats!

lilwyandry · 08-08-11, 08:16 AM

I actually work at a reptile shop and we attained him through one of our suppliers but I couldn't bring myself to let him go so he came home with me instead. Generally speaking on the retail market you're looking at paying around 6-800 for a wild caught specimen, depending on size, gender and locality. Captive bred specimens even in the private market can easily go into the thousands. That's why so many people tend to have Amazons instead, they are referred to as 'the poor man's emerald'. Every once in awhile though you can happen upon a 'collection sale' or someone with unfortunate circumstances that are moving etc. and cannot keep theirs. Good Luck!

**Sidenote: I just realized that you were both Canadian, I haven't the slightest clue what they would cost over the border, probably a bit more. I also don't know what the transport laws are like, your best bet is probably to figure those out and than pick one up down here (my shops in S. New Hampshire) and than bring him home with you. I'm not sure if there are any breeders in Canada; or if you could pick a baby up at a reptile expo.

ladyjustice33 · 08-08-11, 09:56 AM

Gorgeous....there is one at the place I get all my snakes from....he is gorgeous too, has some blue coming in...very pretty snake, but he is one mean sucker!!! Get near his enclosure and at times he will strike at you and keep striking at you till you step away.

lilwyandry · 08-09-11, 12:46 PM

Are you sure it's not a Green Tree Python? Blue is a very abnormal color for an Emerald Tree Boa.

stephanbakir · 08-09-11, 12:48 PM

I don't see blue, looks like an ETB to me.

Gungirl · 08-09-11, 02:36 PM

I love the feisty ones! My GTP is wanting to eat my hand on most days as I change the water..

Love the looks of both the ETB and the GTP. Hopeful that soon I can get a ETB!

Onyx Cross · 08-09-11, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

I don't see blue, looks like an ETB to me.

Lilwyan was asking Ladyjustice if hers was a GTP instead of an ETB. :P

ladyjustice33 · 08-09-11, 09:08 PM

Nope, it's definitely a boa.....next time I'm over there I'll get a pic....It's not a lot of blue, just the faintest light blue on the sides where the green and yellow meet. I'll see if he has one on FB I can copy and paste.

ladyjustice33 · 08-09-11, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladyjustice33

Nope, it's definitely a boa.....next time I'm over there I'll get a pic....It's not a lot of blue, just the faintest light blue on the sides where the green and yellow meet. I'll see if he has one on FB I can copy and paste.

okay...now I'm not sure.....the blue is barely there next to the white splotches (not yellow). Got online and looked at both snakes and looks more like the python to me. I will have to go back by the shop and read the label again cause I'm always in there and could swear it said boa!! Doubting myself now, lol !!!

lilwyandry · 08-10-11, 10:29 AM

These are our Green Trees in case it helps you figure it out

Every single one that has been cared for correctly that I have ever seen have been really sweet. They're a lot like pit bulls, if you're mean and cruel to them, they will be cruel back. I love the green trees, they're just more of the boyfriends' snake than mine.

Note: Oh, and the male on the left hand side has blue dorsal marking, so if that's what the blue looks like it's probably a Green Tree Python. I sure hope they don't have it labeled wrong.

hauntedone · 08-15-11, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilwyandry

I actually work at a reptile shop and we attained him through one of our suppliers but I couldn't bring myself to let him go so he came home with me instead. Generally speaking on the retail market you're looking at paying around 6-800 for a wild caught specimen, depending on size, gender and locality. Captive bred specimens even in the private market can easily go into the thousands. That's why so many people tend to have Amazons instead, they are referred to as 'the poor man's emerald'. Every once in awhile though you can happen upon a 'collection sale' or someone with unfortunate circumstances that are moving etc. and cannot keep theirs. Good Luck!

**Sidenote: I just realized that you were both Canadian, I haven't the slightest clue what they would cost over the border, probably a bit more. I also don't know what the transport laws are like, your best bet is probably to figure those out and than pick one up down here (my shops in S. New Hampshire) and than bring him home with you. I'm not sure if there are any breeders in Canada; or if you could pick a baby up at a reptile expo.

Up here in canada the northerns start at $500, Basins start at about $1000. There are a few breeders up here and they all have good quality animals.

To the OP, that's a sweet looking Emerald