More rainforest reminiscences: The emerald tree boa

To us, the emerald tree boa of the Amazon Basin, Corallus batesii, is a fictional species.

Well, actually, we all know that it exists. It is just that it doesn't exist for us -- at least in situ.

For more than 20 years we have sought this beauty. For the same number of years it has evaded our every effort. It has been found one river upstream and one river downstream. It has been found on tributaries across the Amazon. But on the Rio Orosa, the small tributary on which Madre Selva Biological Preserve is located, we have not been able to find a single individual of this magnificent arboreal boid.

We have searched by day and by night, in wet weather and in comparative dryness, on sunny days, rainy days, cloudy nights and clear nights. And we'll keep trying. You've heard of the shot heard around the world? Well, when we succeed in finding this snake, be it big or small, a white marked forest green adult or a similarly marked but orange neonate, it will be our victory cry that is heard around the world.

More photos under the jump...

An adult Amazon Basin emerald tree boa basks quietly: A beautiful neonate Amazon Basin emerald tree boa:

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.