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Close-up of a bright green emerald tree boa's head.
Photo: Edeag3, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Emerald Tree Boa

Corallus caninus

A bright green Amazon tree snake with white zigzags that coils over branches and senses the heat of its prey.

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About the Emerald Tree Boa

Emerald tree boas live almost only in trees in lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin. Adults are bright green with a white zigzag or diamond pattern and a cream belly. Most are 4 to 6 feet long, though some reach 10 feet. Babies are born reddish or orange and turn green between six months and a year old. They hold onto branches with a prehensile tail.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Corallus caninus[1]
Size
Usually 4 to 6 feet long; up to 10 feet.[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Catches prey and constricts it.[1]
Habitat
Lowland tropical rainforest, almost always in trees.[1]
Where it lives
The Amazon basin of northern South America.[1]
Babies
3 to 8 live young after about seven months.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2014).[2]

Fun facts

  • Baby emerald tree boas are red or orange.[1]
  • Its scientific name means "dog-like."[1]
  • It senses the body heat of prey.[1]

Vocabulary

constrictor
A snake that kills prey by wrapping around it and squeezing.
prehensile
Able to grab or wrap around things, like a tail that holds onto branches.
infrared
Heat energy that can't be seen but can be sensed.
arboreal
Living mostly in trees.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Emerald tree boa.” https://www.sfzoo.org/emerald-tree-boa/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Corallus caninus (Emerald Tree Boa).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/203208/2762180 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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