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Geography
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Both the emerald tree boa and red-tailed boa are native to the western hemisphere, with the red-tailed boa found in most of Central America while the emerald tree boa is found in South America. Both snakes have similar temperature and humidity requirements, although the emerald tree boa is comfortably kept at approximately 5 degrees cooler than the boa constrictor with a slightly higher humidity tolerance.
Physical Differences
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The emerald tree boa is bright green with white striping, whereas the red-tailed boa is beige in color with a red tail and black saddles along the whole body, save for the tail where they are white. One key difference is that baby red-tail boas look the same as adults, while baby emerald tree boas are bright red or orange upon birth, changing to green later on.
Male red-tailed boas can reach lengths of anywhere between 4 to 6 feet, while the females can grow anywhere from 8 to 12 feet. Emerald tree boas tend to reach an average length of 6 feet with a more slender body.
Both snakes are non-venomous, and the red-tail boa has small, curved teeth while the emerald tree boa has teeth that are quite long and sharp.
Diet
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In the wild, the red-tailed boa's diet consists of bats, birds, small mammals and lizards. The emerald tree boa mostly eats small mammals in the wild, but is known to eat some birds and other small reptiles such as frogs when necessary. Both the red-tailed boa and the emerald tree boa kill their prey by constricting it and swallowing it whole.
In captivity, both snakes can eat a diet of rodents that are appropriately sized, and some larger red-tailed boas can eat rabbits.
Habits
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The emerald tree boa is arboreal, spending most of its time in the trees, while the red-tailed boa is semi-arboreal, spending time both on the ground and in the trees.
Red-tailed boas also eat much more frequently than emerald tree boas, who can eat one meal every few months in the wild. Both snakes are ectothermic or "cold-blooded", meaning they must bask in the sun or find an alternative heat source to regulate their body temperature.
As Pets
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Both the emerald tree boa and the red-tailed boa are kept as pets, although the red-tailed boa is more common in captivity than the emerald tree boa, particularly because the emerald tree boa is considered more "advanced" with more specific requirements, such as higher humidity.
Most red-tail boas become accustomed to handling by their keepers, while emerald tree boas are known to be more temperamental and a "display-only" snake.
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Facts About the Emerald Tree Boa Versus the Redtail Boa
Both the emerald tree boa and the red-tailed boa constrictor (sometimes called the Colombian boa constrictor) are members of the Boidae family. They both give birth to live offspring like all boas and are quite common in the pet trade, although the emerald tree boa is less common than the red-tailed boa constrictor. Both snakes have some similarities and many differences.