SpeciesAmazon tree boa
Amazon tree boa
Corallus hortulanus
Nocturnal, lightning fast and often decidedly defensive. One to watch rather than to handle and it needs height.
- Group
- Snake
- Level
- Advanced
- Origin
- Tropical South America
Where the species comes from
- World region
- Tropical South America
- Countries
- Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia
- Habitat
- Rainforest, riverside woodland and secondary forest
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A tall, well-ventilated enclosure with sturdy climbing structures.
- Temperature
- Warm area 29–31 °C, cool side 23–25 °C.
- Humidity
- Around 60–80 %, with a chance to dry out.
- Lighting
- Bright daylight, low-level UVB.
- Substrate
- A moisture-buffering substrate.
- Furnishings
- Plenty of horizontal branches, plants and visual barriers.
- Water
- Fresh water and regular bursts of misting.
- Feeding
- Thawed rodents or birds.
- Behaviour
- Nocturnal, often defensive and very quick to react.
- Handling
- Only when necessary; mind the striking distance.
- Cohabitation
- Keep singly.
- Health
- Breathing, skin, dehydration and mouth.
- Seasonal cycle
- No winter rest: Amazon basin, warm and humid all year round. Instead of cooling, the yearly rhythm follows the rain: A drier phase of six to eight weeks, followed by increased misting.
- Safety
- A powerful bite and a long reach.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
Species protection applies
CITES Appendix II: Import and transfer only with papers. When buying, ask for proof of origin and captive breeding
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 43b (Green tree python and tree boas): floor area 1 × 0.5 body lengths, height 0.75 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 0.5 × 0.2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the total length, from snout to tail tip. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Total length | At least |
|---|---|
| 120 cm | 120 × 60 × 90 cm |
| 150 cm | 150 × 75 × 113 cm |
| 180 cm | 180 × 90 × 135 cm |
| 200 cm | 200 × 100 × 150 cm |
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy or aestivation (preliminary remark D on reptiles).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
