Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi! I wonder how large they get as adults. I also wonder about their temperament, I've heard they are calm animals, but how calm are they?

Hi Python,
If you are referring to ABETB's, I believe they can obtain a length of well over 6'. We have a female that is that length now. They are noted to obtain the greatest girth of all emeralds but I'm not ready to take that as fact since we have a northern female that is 6' and has a girth equal to if not larger than the 6' basin female.

Temperment by far is much better than northerns. I base this on my observations with WC's of each.
CraigC

Yes, they can get to be over 6 feet long, but it takes a while for them to get that big. The fastest that I’ve heard about is 6 years, and that was under ideal conditions of being kept. “Well over 6 feet” (as in seven feet) would be more unusual.

As for girth, emeralds in general are the most heavy-bodied, in relation to their length, of all the tree boas, but Amazon-basin ones are not any more so than any of the other types. One finds both heavy-bodied and more slender individuals in all of the various types of emeralds.

Temperment, however, is said to be (by those who should know, like Stan Chiras) more straightforward. Amazon-basin emeralds seem to be—as a group—more docile toward people than emeralds of other types.

Individual snakes can vary, of course. My own emerald is what's called a “dark-phase northern” type and is (I hate to use such a trendy term here, but it’s appropriate) “puppy-dog” tame (that is, she has never stuck at anyone and actually seems to enjoy being handled). She is just over 6 feet long and nicely full-bodied: she weighs 3.31 lbs. (just over 1500 grams) and is 6 inches around at her widest point.

The fastest that I’ve heard about is 6 years, and that was under ideal conditions of being kept.

Wow do you know who has gotten a basin to get to 6'in 6years?
They must be really feeding more often than 2 week intervals.
CraigC

In this forum, back on Wednesday, October 29, a user named “joshm” started a thread telling about the recent birth of two litters that he got from the adults that he has raised from babies himself.

If you make your way through the whole thread, you will find picture captions that say: “Waited six long years to see this, every adult I have was raised from a newborn. Well worth the wait I think...” and also “This female is every bit of 6 feet.”

You could e-mail him directly and see if the 6-feet-in-6-years idea is really true. Not everyone actually takes his or her snakes out in order to measure them directly. Big ones can be a handful. (It takes both my wife and I working together to measure mine.) He may have merely been making a visual estimate.

I went back and saw your inquiry. Did he ever answer you? I understand that females generally don't reach sexual maturity for 6 years. I have a female for a '99 Nicoli litter and I don't anticipate her reaching 6' in 2 more years. Maybe your right and he is just guestimating.

This northern girl is just over 6', she is a WC which we have had for over 2 years.

[image]http://photo.redtailboa.net/albums/albur54/1_23_03.jpg[/image]

[image]http://photo.redtailboa.net/albums/albur54/12_28_02.jpg[/image]

CraigC

Sorry pic didn't post!

This is my newly-acquired emerald boa. She’s of the “dark-phase northern” type.
   

Here is another shot, a little closer. You can see the scalation on her snout.
  

Tank you for answering, very appriciated