Temperature and Humidity

Temperature and humidity are very important variables that must be considered when keeping Corallus. It should be noted, air circulation is equally important. Amazon Tree Boas seem to be more adaptable to a wider range of humidity levels than Emerald Tree Boas. Emerald Tree Boas are sensitive to lower humidity levels. The reason being they inhabit areas with higher humidities on more or less a continual basis. I have even heard that Emerald Tree Boas are primarily found and collected in riparian habitats. Riparian habitats as a microclimate would have even higher humidity levels than the surrounding habitat. Through evolution in a humid climate, the respiratory tract of Emerald's are designed to breath moist air. The draw back to such specialization is their respiratory system is not equipped to regulate tissue moisture on its own. Not much of a problem in their natural habitat. My point: when we house Emeralds it is imperative to duplicate the high humidity levels of their native environment. The primary reason being respiratory ailments can occur fairly quickly in an environment with insufficient humidity; essentially the respiratory tissues dry causing tissue damage. The damage can be permanent leading to what appears to be a chronic repiratory infection. So what humidity level is high? I maintain Emeralds in excess of 75-80% humidity. The higher the humidity the better in my opinion and I say that conditionally.

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Once again, in nature the humidity of the tropics can be 90-100% humidity but at the same time there are no restrictions on air movement. Humidity of 90-100% combined with temperatures of 80-90°F and no air circulation allows bacteria and fungi to thrive in mass. The critical balance of high humidity and air circulation is the aim when considering your Emerald enclosure. It is simple to have high humidity in a non-ventilated enclosure but the bacteria and fungus load it allows will soon overwhelm your snake's immune system. There really is no exact formula for achieving this humidity and ventilation balance as everyone has varied humidity and temperature conditions in their homes. You must experiment with the variables, preferably before you actually acquire your Emerald.

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Many keepers mist daily to raise the humidity and then allow the enclosure to dry somewhat. This 24 hour cycle of high humidity and drying can be tuned to a rate that keeps your emerald healthy while keeping bacteria and fungi in check; the drying is what hinders exponential growth of potential pathogens. I use that formula for my adult enclosures. They are automatically misted daily in the morning and allowed to dry. Only enough ventilation holes have been made to allow slow drying to take place. For my neonate enclosures I use heat tape underneath the tubs. In the morning the thermostat controlled heat tape warms up the water substrate and raises the humidity. After the temperature warms sufficiently, the heat tape shuts off and the enclosures dry slowly until the next morning. I have found that the addition of a fan in the reptile room is essential in achieving the humidity and air circulation balance. My enclosures as they stand do not have very good air circulation in a room without air movement. The fan moves the air continuously and causes a perfect air exchange rate in the enclosures without over drying. The fan also alleviates a temperature gradient in the reptile room so the upper enclosures have relatively the same temperature as the lower ones.

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Temperature is of course another important variable to consider. I maintain my Emeralds and Amazons with daytime temperatures of 85°F. My neonates are maintained with a constant 85°F during the day without a gradient. The adults having larger enclosures with heat panels have a gradient during the day of 80-92°F. During the summer months the reptile room temperature sometimes reaches 96°F for a few hours in the late afternoon. This occurance is not a problem. Emeralds being ectotherms cannot regulate their body temperatures and are in life threatening danger at temperatures of 105°F and above. Proteins and DNA are denatured at temperatures around 110°F and as a result their biological functions are diminished. Excessive heat at such temperatures basically kills all your snake's cells fairly rapidly. Nighttime temperatures for basic husbandry are kept at about 78°F. At night all individual cage heat sources shut off. The reptile room is then maintained at 78°F as a whole using an oil-filled room heater controlled by a Helix 1500 watt system. While excessively high temperatures are hazardous, so are excessively low temperatures. Suboptimal temperatures present a different danger. The rate of cellular function in ectotherms is of course temperature sensitive, this includes the immune system. If your snake's body temperature drops too low, its immune system function is slowed and unable fight bacterial growth fast enough. Often times emeralds will get a respiratory infection during shipping when they are exposed to low temperatures for several hours. Only a few hours of slowed immune function can be enough to allow already present bacteria to proliferate and cause illness. What temperature is too low? I believe temperatures below 68°F for any period of time are risky. In summary, to keep your Corallus happy you need to experiment and find the balance where temperature, humidity, and air circulation work together to provide the parameters mentioned. Keep those Emeralds happy!