The emerald tree boa is an arboreal species of boa from South America.
Emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus), Toronto Zoo.
An emerald tree boa looks a lot like a green tree python down to the fact that their hatchlings are a reddish-brown color and only turn green as they mature into an adult. Emerald tree boas live a very similar lifestyle to that of green tree pythons only in a different part of the world. Since these two unrelated species of snakes are so similar, probably because of their similar environments, they are often cited as examples of convergent evolution.
Emerald tree boas in the wild are considered to be of some concern from a conservation point of view and there might be restrictions on the trade of wild caught specimens. On the other hand captive bread emerald tree boas are available in the pet trade so if one wants to keep an emerald tree boa as a pet an animal can be purchased from breeders. It is a moderately sized, non-venomous snake with an adult size around 6 feet.
The emerald tree boa likes to spend its days coiled up on tree branches — where it can be observed and admired by its owner — and spend the night hunting down and eating its prey.
The metabolism of the emerald tree boa is very slow and they can go weeks, even a month between meals. In captivity it is easy to overfeed them, because they will hunt every night. Hobbyists who keep an emerald tree boa must be aware of that.
Further Readings:
Emerald tree boa on the Toronto Zoo website.
Breeding Emerald Tree Boas.
Expert Care for the Emerald Tree Boa on reptilesmagazine.com.