Who Wants A Tree Boa?

[whippet]

Here is our Inca...I do love how beautiful she is.

 

[pridecity]

Mine is about the size of your Lucifer, Trickster.

Unfortunately, I may have to hold her to get her shed off. Maybe I should keep her in a tub instead of a 29 gallon tank?

I didn't realize so many CS.com people had these guys. I like it!

 

[kathylove]

ATBs seem a very natural "next step" for corn fans...

because they have similar colors and are highly variable just as corns are, and so are appealing for that reason. Once you have kept corns for a long time, and have had enough handling snakes that you can deal with something that is more of a display animal, then a corn keeper can REALLY appreciate this species. Corns tend to flatten or dig up plants- ATBs are much more gentle to planted vivaria, even though they weigh approximately similar amounts to corns. And the fact that there is so much genetic variation still to be discovered makes them really exciting! So all of the traits that drew people to corns, will draw them to Amazons - except the handling part, until you are ready to "graduate" to a superior display animal, lol! So it is not at all surprising that many here also love Amazons.

 

[tricksterpup]

Mine is about the size of your Lucifer, Trickster.

Unfortunately, I may have to hold her to get her shed off. Maybe I should keep her in a tub instead of a 29 gallon tank?

I would go with a tall latchable tub for right now. See the fencing in the tub use that stuff. Its dirt cheap. I got a dowel rod and cut in to 2 parts, placed holes on each side and the strung it through the fencing. They site on it really nicely. I prefer something like this right now until I can place them in their future display cages. I want them to be adult size.

By the way both snakes are the same size. They are actual siblings from the same brood.

As for the shed, treat it like you would a corn. Place it in a small container with water. Make sure to be careful and do not force it off its perch. Again, its the fragile tail. Place it in there and allow the humidity to do its trick.

I didn't realize so many CS.com people had these guys. I like it!

because they have similar colors and are highly variable just as corns are, and so are appealing for that reason. Once you have kept corns for a long time, and have had enough handling snakes that you can deal with something that is more of a display animal, then a corn keeper can REALLY appreciate this species. Corns tend to flatten or dig up plants- ATBs are much more gentle to planted vivaria, even though they weigh approximately similar amounts to corns. And the fact that there is so much genetic variation still to be discovered makes them really exciting! So all of the traits that drew people to corns, will draw them to Amazons - except the handling part, until you are ready to "graduate" to a superior display animal, lol! So it is not at all surprising that many here also love Amazons.

Now the real reason I got mine was due a MN Herp society Meeting. My buddy Brad Baysinger aka the snake guru brought his in to display the use of snake hooks. It was a pretty interesting talk.
He allowed me to hold the snake and snickered a little. I tend not to shy away from aggressive snakes. Well the snake decided to get tangled up on his tub and we got him free with the help of an old time herper as well.
He held the snake and it just sat there looking for the right place to bite him. It was the most interesting thing I have ever seen a snake do. I thought before bitting. Corns and other colubrids will just strike with out thought. This guy picked and choose where to bite. I admired the intelligence of the animal and its what drew me to them.
So eventually I bugged Brad and I got to know a friend of his who sold him his snakes. The rest was history.

 

[pridecity]

I took new pictures with my camera (not webcam) this time. I didn't get her into a shed tub until this morning because I couldn't find my darn clean tubs and I didn't want to spray one with vinegar and have her have to smell that all night. She spent most of the night in one of the towels in the 28 qt and that's where I found her this morning. I used a towel to pick her up and to put her in the shed tub.

Not even one strike!

Then, I took her outside to snap a few pictures before my camera died (why is the battery always low? I only take 1000 pictures a week...). These pictures show her true colors. She's very alert. I let her smell my finger through the holes in the tub. She has a pretty black/purple tongue. We might get along after all.

Last thing. These snakes actually have tails. Who knew? Lol.

 

[kathylove]

She is going to be gorgeous after she sheds!

You really, really, should keep her for at least several months. By then, you may love her so much that you will never let her go!