Amazon Tree Boas

[Enser54]

I'm curious about getting an Amazon Tree Boa and have a few questions that hopefully somebody here can answer through experience.

I've read that they are a bit hostile, but how mean are they really? And do they grow out of this as they get older?

Another thing I have read is that they have musk glands and can emit an awful smell... has anyone here smelled this first hand, if so how bad is it??

How much do these snakes already cost? I'm in contact with two sellers, one for $200 including shipping, another for $130 with free shipping... does the higher price probably mean better quality, or is $200 a bit too much for such a snake.

I'm sure I have more questions but these are whats on my mind right this minute...

[Colin Vestrand]

i'm not sure the answer to most of your questions... but you may want to ask a mod to move this to the boa forum as ATB's are of the genus Corallus, not Morelia.

[DavidG]

The price is probably due to color morphing. You want to make sure the people you're dealing with are top notch and not selling you an import. If it's Wild caught it's going to be mean. They are an aggressive snake but CBB will tame most of the time.

[waltah!]

I only have one but he's not really aggressive. They will stare you down and are quick to move toward you most of the time. Just because they move toward you does not mean they are out to bite though. I can see how it would freak some people out.
As for the price....you are probably paying more for color as said earlier. At that price I would make sure they are cb. They can be a gorgeous display snake for sure as I never get tired of looking at mine.

[Michelle.C]

I've read that they are a bit hostile, but how mean are they really? And do they grow out of this as they get older?

Another thing I have read is that they have musk glands and can emit an awful smell... has anyone here smelled this first hand, if so how bad is it??

How much do these snakes already cost? I'm in contact with two sellers, one for $200 including shipping, another for $130 with free shipping... does the higher price probably mean better quality, or is $200 a bit too much for such a snake.

I'm sure I have more questions but these are whats on my mind right this minute...

Each individual animal is different. In general, they are more aggressive than your average Corn Snake/Ball Python. I have seven Amazon Tree Boas, two juveniles, five adults. Out of the five adults, two never calmed down and are still quite aggressive. The other three are very calm and docile, but they were like that as neonates. With these guys, I'm going to say, once aggressive, always aggressive.

Their musk isn't awful in comparison to some nerodia species. Then again, no musk smells like roses. On the 1 to 10 scale, I'd give it a 6.

Price is dependent on color. The less pattern, generally, the more expensive. Solid Reds, Oranges, Yellows come with a pretty steep price tag ($250-$500).
Halloweens, Garden Phase, etc are generally below $150.

Look here for some of the animals different breeders are selling. Don't forget to check the sellers reputation on Fauna Classifieds under the BOI section. http://market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=33

I thought I saw a fairly attractive (Red and Orange) Candy Cane for $150 plus shipping.

[DutchHerp]

Their musk isn't awful in comparison to some nerodia

Oh my that stuff is disgusting.

I can't get the smell off for about 3 days.

[Enser54]

i'm not sure the answer to most of your questions... but you may want to ask a mod to move this to the boa forum as ATB's are of the genus Corallus, not Morelia.

Thats my bad I didn't even see the section on Tree Boas. I am open to Tree Pythons too though, lol.

Thank you everyone for the help and information so far.

[Lucas339]

i have a friend with 2 amazons and both are on the more aggresive side. he has to put paper towel in the front of the cage to keep one of them from striking the front of the tank when you walk by it.

if you decide to go with a green tree and this is your first, i recommend going with an older animal, like a year old or older. an older animal will be more established and will be able to handle more stress. make sure you do your research on the tree pythons and make sure you know about the caring of them. the pricing for the tree pythons will be more. the cheaper ones are farm breds. the USCB animals will be a little bit more. as for temperment, with the GTP its hit or miss. some are babies and others are aggressive. but for this snake, i think more are nice than mean.

just do you research and research it agian and make sure this is what you want. and if you have any questions about GTPs ask! there are several of us on here that keep this species and would be willing to make sure you know all that is involved with both types.

[DavidG]

GTP's are whole other relm of snake. They are great, but not for everyone. Several of us do keep them. I have 5 myself and Brandon has an amazing collection. JuddB is also on his game.

[Enser54]

I'm wondering if I should find a median between the two extremes [the docile of BPs and the hostility of tree boas/pythons], such as a rainbow boa or carpet python... and eventually from there move on to the potentially more challenging to handle trees.