What is the largest arboreal snake?

Norm66 · 02-16-12, 06:23 AM

For some reason last night it popped in my head to wonder what the largest (longest and/or heaviest bodied) primarily arboreal snake is.

Obviously most true arboreals are relatively light for obvious reasons but there are exceptions to every rule. A quick Google search didn't produce any good results. I know boa constrictors sometimes climb and carpets are consdiered semi-arboreal but do any primarily tree-dwelling snakes approach that size?

Will0W783 · 02-16-12, 08:09 AM

The Madagascan tree boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis) can get 6-7 feet. They are not completely arboreal, but they do favor trees over the ground.
Female emerald tree boas can also become MASSIVE- often topping 6 feet.
Mambas are also considered largely arboreal, as are boomslangs. Both are slender species, but are long snakes.

AaronRiot · 02-16-12, 08:52 AM

I would agree with you on the Mambas. They get very long. The three Dendroaspis other than the Black/Polylepis are particularly arboreal.

I would also posit the Scrub complex?? Although I'm new in my research on these and am not positive. The Australian and largest species grows to 20+ feet... Smaller varieties range from 6-12ish. I don't know if they are only arboreal for part of their lives or their whole life though.

My solid opinion would be Dendroaspis sp. bc I do t know enough about the Scrubs.

CDN_Blood · 02-16-12, 09:32 AM

Scrub pythons are excellent climbers even when they're large. Primarily arboreal - debatable, but that would certainly be my vote

Xanafein · 02-16-12, 09:44 AM

I would also put the vote on scrubbies, although yah not completely arboreal

Norm66 · 02-16-12, 11:14 AM

Thanks for the input everybody. I'm going to spend some time looking for video of some of these species tonight. I'm fascinated with the way snakes climb through tree branches.

youngster · 02-16-12, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norm66

Thanks for the input everybody. I'm going to spend some time looking for video of some of these species tonight. I'm fascinated with the way snakes climb through tree branches.

Can't wait to make a natural viv for Mayhem to climb through

What does Jerome have for climbing? I swear I could watch my carpet climb all day long.

Norm66 · 02-16-12, 12:50 PM

Eli, I did have a cool PVC perch for Jerome when I had him in an aquarium. But during his non-feeding jag I put him in my rack thinking he might need the solitude so right now all he has to climb on is two hides and some plastic plants I have in there with him.

Within the next couple months I'm going to buy or build a 3x2x2 minimum enclosure for him and it will definitely have some cool stuff to climb on. PVC pipe is cheap plus it's really fun and easy to work with.

**millertime89** · 02-16-12, 01:29 PM

The scrub definitely gets my vote. They can reach 18 feet and are still commonly found in the trees once they reach larger sizes due to their slender body type.

red ink · 02-16-12, 02:39 PM

Morelia kinghorni

RedGKS · 02-18-12, 01:05 PM

Largest arboreal venomous snake would probably be Dendroaspis polylepis (black mamba). Though it can be argued that it is largely a terrestrial snake as it does not spend much time up in trees. It's quick, agile, and can gracefully climb trees, but it doesn't spend much time up there, unlike the green mambas (both D. viridis and D. angusticeps) and same with the Jameson's mamba (D. jamesoni).

Largest arboreal non-venomous snake has got to be some kind of boa. Not exactly sure which one, but I'm thinking maybe Morelia amethistina (scrub python)?