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Emerald Tree Boa — printable fact sheet
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Emerald Tree Boa
Corallus caninus
Corallus caninus of the Amazon basin is a masterclass in convergent evolution. It hangs draped over a horizontal branch in tidy symmetrical coils with its head resting in the middle, it is vivid green with white markings, its young are born brick red or orange and change to gree…
Did you know?
- The Emerald Tree Boa has almost identical coloration and habits to the Green Tree Python of Australia, despite not being closely related—a classic example of convergent evolution.
- The ontogenetic colour change from red or orange to green is not fully explained, but the leading idea is that juveniles live lower in the vegetation, where a reddish animal is better hidden among leaf litter and light gaps than a green one. The white markings along the back break up the snake's outline against dappled canopy light, so a coiled boa reads as a clump of leaves. It relies almost entirely on ambush and can hold the same coiled posture on the same branch for days. Its long teeth are a genuine hazard to handlers — the bite is not venomous but it is a deep, bleeding puncture.
What I learned
Draw the emerald tree boa
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