Amazon Tree Boa Breeders???

[ReptileJay]

I'm not sure if I'm going to add a new snake to my collection. I'm looking to get information. Does anyone know any good breeders of Amazon Tree Boas. Right now I'm just looking for info (cage requirements, growth rate, cost) on the snake. Thanks

[john_]

Check this link out:

http://www.amazontreeboa.org/

Although I don't know him personally, Mike has a really good reputation and is very passionate about ATBs. I know he just had a girl pop recently with a BUNCH of nice colors. He's filled with good info. I'd start by contacting him.

I might have been able to help you myself but only had 1 baby survive this year :confused:

Let me know how it turns out for you!

[ReptileJay]

I might have been able to help you myself but only had 1 baby survive this year :confused:

Let me know how it turns out for you!

I read about that. Sorry you lost those guys. That doesn't mean you can't help me. You still bred them, somewhat successfully. That says you know how to keep these animals healthy.

[john_]

Before going into it, I have to say that I'm by no means an expert, I'm just writing up what works for me, so here goes....

Cost:
The ATB price range will be based entirely on what you're looking for. You can find garden phase atbs all day long for $30. Colors/phases are entirely up you - you could spend as much as $200 on a quality colored amazon or thousands on a morph. One recommendation of course is to buy CBB, and in my opinion try to support local breeders.

Growth :
They tend to stay between 4-6 feet as adults.

Terrarium:
I use exoterra/zoomed products so keep that in mind when making your own terrarium and addjust accordingly. ATBs, especially young ones, like tight areas to help them feel secure.

Substrate:
I use approx 2"-3" of river rock on the bottom of the tank. Then another inch or so of cypress mulch. The cypress mulch helps keep humidity up and is inexpensive/easy to clean, the rocks below it act as a drainage/reservoir area for water. Depending on your setup, you can also use papertowels, newspaper or moss.

Perches:
Being tree snakes they love to spend alot of time in the branches or perched. My ATBs spend about 80% of their time in the trees, the rest hidden under a leaf on the groud. I use dowels from home depot and some fake zoomed flex trees. I have some fake vines and a live pothos plant to provide cover on the ground and various other things for them to climb on at different heights.

Lighting:
13 watt fluorescent on 12 hour on/off cycles. I personally believe providing a light period will stimulate their natural sleeping/hunting patterns, I've also read it's good for their psych - not to mention good to help cycle a breeding season.

Temps:
Day - 80 to 89 verticle gradiant.
Night - 73ish to high 70s. Some people go lower but I believe these to be safe conditions

Humidity:
I shoot for 75%-85% during the day and have an overnight dry out to as low as 40%-45%.

Heating:
Although I would recommend heat panels I'm currently using infrared bulbs on a thermostat. Because I use arboreal setups, the lights provide a nice vertical temperature gradiant and I supply perches/plantlife up and down the tank. Keep in mind using bulbs will dry the tank out much more than heat panels so you'll have to compensate to keep the humidity up.

Tips to keep humidity up:

Switch to heat panels - bulbs dry tanks out

Use live plants! Most low light tropic plant but pothos seems to be the winner for me. Very hardy plant.

Cypress mulch on the bottom

ZooMed Reptifogger - Great product! I use 1 fogger to keep 3 tanks humid and it works great.


Hope this helps!...

[ReptileJay]

Thanks man. It does help. Like I said, I'm not looking to get one anytime soon. Not sure if I ever will. I've read that an exo-terra 18x18x24 is good enough for an adult ATB. True? Seems kind of small to me. Right now my JCP is in my exo-terra, so when he moves on to his adult enclosure in about a year, I'd have an available cage. I still don't know if I'd get another snake or not. I've heard a good way to heat exo-terras is to use UTH on the sides of the tank. I might try that if I get one of these guys. Keeping humidity up in an exo-terra is hard with a CHE or heat bulb on top. I'm having problems finding breeders to get a price range. 200.00 isn't that bad to me. I'm not really into morphs too much. I like natural colors in my snakes. I wouldn't mind one of those red ones. Thanks again for the tips man.

[john_]

Just decided to throw up a couple pictures of my baby's tank.

ATB tank to the left, GTP on the right, fogger and scale in the middle. The fogger has a longer bath to the ATB tank, this way more fog goes to the GTP side.
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/setups.atb/2009.11.09_tanks.jpg

A picture with some fog, atb is hiding under a leaf.
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/setups.atb/2009.11.09_atb.fog.jpg

and here he/she is hiding away:
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/setups.atb/2009.11.09_atb.under.leaf.jpg

and like i posted in another thread, climbing:
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/atb_babies/2009.11.09_atb2.jpg

[ReptileJay]

Wow, that guy has some crazy coloring. Is he a morph, or is that just a natural coloration?
I really like the idea of that fogger. Do you use it to replace misting, or just as extra humidity?

[john_]

Wow, that guy has some crazy coloring. Is he a morph, or is that just a natural coloration?
I really like the idea of that fogger. Do you use it to replace misting, or just as extra humidity?

His colors will most likely turn a whiteish color. They call this the halloween phase. I try to spray the animal directly once a day, although probably not necessary, I like the maintenance aspect of it, and the water beads up nicely on the coils.

[ReptileJay]

Thanks for the tips and info.

[DrJ]

ghireptiles.com also sells some pretty nice ATBs. Last I talked with him, he was willing to go through the litter and discuss in detail the personalities of each baby so I could have my "pick of the litter" if personality was an important aspect for me. He was very informative of his ATBs and very helpful himself.

Just another option for you.

[ReptileJay]

ghireptiles.com also sells some pretty nice ATBs. Last I talked with him, he was willing to go through the litter and discuss in detail the personalities of each baby so I could have my "pick of the litter" if personality was an important aspect for me. He was very informative of his ATBs and very helpful himself.

Just another option for you.

Thanks man. Looks like he doesn't have any available now, but I bookmarked his page. I would like to get one eventually, but I think a Suriname BCC is the next snake on my list. Thanks man.

[EASY $]

Just decided to throw up a couple pictures of my baby's tank.

ATB tank to the left, GTP on the right, fogger and scale in the middle. The fogger has a longer bath to the ATB tank, this way more fog goes to the GTP side.
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/setups.atb/2009.11.09_tanks.jpg

A picture with some fog, atb is hiding under a leaf.
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/setups.atb/2009.11.09_atb.fog.jpg

and here he/she is hiding away:
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/setups.atb/2009.11.09_atb.under.leaf.jpg

and like i posted in another thread, climbing:
http://mainstreetreptiles.com/pictures/atb_babies/2009.11.09_atb2.jpg
Thats a really cool pic!!