Published October 7, 2021. Updated February 12, 2024. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
Amazon Tree-Boa (Corallus hortulana)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Boidae | Corallus hortulana
English common names: Amazon Tree-Boa, Common Tree Boa, Garden Tree Boa.
Spanish common names: Boa amazónica de jardín, boa arborícola amazónica, boa de los jardines (Ecuador); boa arborícola (Bolivia); boa arborícola del amazonas, macabrel (Colombia); boa arborícola amazónica (Peru).
Recognition: ♂♂ 164.3 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. ♀♀ 187.6 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail..1,2 Corallus hortulana differs from other Amazonian snakes by having a triangular-shaped head, heat-sensitive pits on the lips, and a prehensile tail.3,4 This species is polychromatic (Fig. 1). Dorsally, it presents a variable background coloration (yellow, gray, greenish gray, brown, taupe, pink, orange tan, reddish brown, or black) with a series of dorsoventrally arranged ellipsoid spots, which may be dark brown, yellow, or cream.3–6 The venter may present dark spots on a background color that can be white, cream, gray, brown, or reddish brown.2–5 In Ecuador, similar snakes that may be found living alongside C. hortulana are C. batesii and Epicrates cenchria. Corallus batesii differs from C. hortulana because this species has a green (orange-red in juveniles)7 dorsum with enamel-white markings.8 Epicrates cenchria has an iridescent orangish dorsum and rounded spots with dark edges.4
Figure 1: Individuals of Corallus hortulana: Río Cuyabeno, Sucumbíos province, Ecuador (); Suchipakari Lodge, Napo province, Ecuador (); Palmarí, Amazonas state, Brazil (); Sani Lodge, Sucumbíos province, Ecuador (). ad=adult, j=juvenile.
Natural history: Corallus hortulana is the most commonly seen boa in the Ecuadorian Amazon.9 It is an arboreal snake that inhabits old growth to moderately disturbed rainforests, which may be terra-firme or seasonally flooded.2,4,6–12 The species also occurs in human-modified habitats and can even enter human dwellings located near the forest.9 Amazon Tree-Boas use vegetation between 0.3 and 25 m above the ground and are particularly abundant along the margins of rivers and streams.4,6–14 Despite this, individuals can occasionally be found at ground level.4 Corallus hortulana has nocturnal habits, with greater activity during moonless nights and between sunset and midnight, with the majority of this time spent foraging.3,6,13,15 During the day, these boas can be observed coiled with the head hidden among body coils, resting on shaded vegetation, in hollow logs, or in the thatch of roofs.4,9,13,14 In Ecuador, an individual was recorded active during the morning (10:00 am) eating its prey,16 and in Brazil one individual was observed at 2:00 pm basking in the sun.17 Also, in Brazil two individuals were observed mating during the day.14
Corallus hortulana uses active foraging as well as sit-and-wait strategies to capture prey, though the latter approach seems to be more common in adults.4,15,18 This snake is euryphagic, which means it consumes a broad array of prey items. Its diet is composed of anurans (mostly treefrogs),19 lizards (anoles, basilisks,4 Iguana iguana, tropic lizards, and whiptails such as Ameiva ameiva),19 birds, and mammals (marsupials, bats, primates, porcupines, and rodents).4,15–20 Likewise, it has been suggested that this snake occasionally consumes fish.21 Ontogenetic changes in diet have been documented for the species, in which juveniles and sub-adults feed on anurans, lizards, birds, and mammals, while adults consume only birds and mammals.18,19,22 There are records of crocodilians (Melanosuchus niger and Paleosuchus trigonatus),15 hawks,9 and owls23 preying upon Amazon Tree-Boas. When threatened, individuals usually make an S-coil and strike.4,17 When manipulated, they can adopt a “protective ball posture,” as well as contract and rotate the body, regurgitate prey, and expel cloacal discharges.3,4,12,15
The reproductive season of Corallus hortulana can vary between locations. There are records of mating in May (in captivity),24 June,14 July,25 and September.14,26 Birth events having been reported from January to June, and in November.27,28 During copulation, the male entangles about 30% of its body around the female and performs movements with its head, including rubbing the chin against the female’s neck and head.26 In captivity, two males copulated for ~37 minutes with a female, without engaging in combat.24 After a gestation period of 6–7 months, females “give birth” (the eggs hatch within the mother) to 2–29 young that measure 28.2–64.4 cm in total length.24,27–29 After birth, females may eat some of their young.29 Under human care, individuals can live up to 15 years.30
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..31–33 Corallus hortulana is listed in this category because it is widely distributed, occurs in numerous protected areas, has a relatively large and stable populations, and is facing no major immediate extinction threats.31 However, this species can be particularly susceptible to large-scale deforestation, since it requires arboreal vegetation to survive.31 In addition, wild individuals of C. hortulana are marketed as pets, which is why the species is included in Appendix II of CITES.31,34,35
Distribution: Corallus hortulana is native to an area of approximately 207,837 km2 throughout the Amazon basin in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador (Fig. 2), French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.36
Figure 2: Distribution of Corallus hortulana in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Corallus comes from the old French word coral, which was the name given to dangerous savage and barbaric peoples in ancient times.37,38 This term refers to the fierce and perfidious appearance of the species of the genus, among which the anterior teeth of the maxilla and mandible stand out, which are longer than the posterior teeth.38 The specific epithet hortulana is a Latin word meaning “garden”.37 It refers to the dorsal coloration, reminiscent of a flowerbed.38
See it in the wild: Amazon Tree-Boas can be located at a rate of about once every few nights in forest areas throughout their area of distribution in Ecuador. The localities having the greatest number of observations in Ecuador are Río Cuyabeno, Napo Wildlife Center, Sani Lodge, and Yasuní Scientific Station.
Special thanks to Chantelle Derez for symbolically adopting the Amazon Tree-Boa and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
Click here to adopt a species.
Authors: Juan Acosta-Ortiz,aAffiliation: Universidad de los Llanos. Villavicencio, Colombia. Andrés F. Aponte-Gutiérrez,bAffiliation: Grupo de Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.,cAffiliation: Fundación Biodiversa Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. and Leonardo Niño-CárdenasdAffiliation: Laboratorio de Anfibios, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
Editor: Alejandro ArteagaeAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.
Photographers: Jose VieiraeAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,fAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador. and Sebastián Di DoménicogAffiliation: Keeping Nature, Bogotá, Colombia.
How to cite? Acosta-Ortiz J, Aponte-Gutiérrez A, Niño-Cárdenas L (2024) Amazon Tree-Boa (Corallus hortulana). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/PANR5535
Literature cited:
- Duellman WE, Mendelson JR (1995) Amphibians and reptiles from northern departamento Loreto, Peru: taxonomy and biogeography. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 55: 329–376. DOI: 10.5962/bhl.part.779
- Dixon JR, Soini P (1986) The reptiles of the upper Amazon Basin, Iquitos region, Peru. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 154 pp.
- de Fraga R, Lima AP, da Costa Prudente AL, Magnusson WE (2013) Guia de cobras da região de Manaus - Amazônia Central. Editopa Inpa, Manaus, 303 pp.
- Martins M, Oliveira ME (1998) Natural history of snakes in forests of the Manaus region, Central Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetological Natural History 6: 78–150.
- Henderson RW (1997) A taxonomic review of the Corallus hortulanus complex of neotropical tree boas. Caribbean Journal of Science 33: 198–221.
- Duellman WE (2005) Cusco amazónico: the lives of amphibians and reptiles in an Amazonian rainforest. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 433 pp.
- Duellman WE (1978) The biology of an equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 65: 1–352.
- Henderson RW, Passos P, Feitosa D (2009) Geographic variation in the Emerald Treeboa, Corallus caninus (Squamata: Boidae). Copeia 3: 572–582. DOI: 10.1643/CH-08-190
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Natera-Mumaw M, Esqueda-González LF, Castelaín-Fernández M (2015) Atlas serpientes de Venezuela. Dimacofi Negocios Avanzados S.A., Santiago de Chile, 456 pp.
- Barrio-Amorós CL (2017) Field observations on Neotropical Treeboas of the Genus Corallus (Squamata: Boidae). Reptiles & Amphibians: Conservation and Natural History 1: 1–16.
- dos Santos-Costa MC, Maschio GF, da Costa Prudente AL (2015) Natural history of snakes from Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, eastern Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetology Notes 8: 69–98.
- da Costa Silva P, Henderson RW (2010) Observations on habitat, activity, foraging and diet in the Amazon Treeboa, Corallus hortulanus, on Batatas Island, Parnaiba Delta Piauí, Brazil. Reptiles & Amphibians: Conservation and Natural History 17: 219–221.
- da Costa Silva P, Henderson RW (2014) Natural history observations of Amazon Treeboas (Corallus hortulanus) on three islands in the Parnaíba Delta, Brazil. Reptiles & Amphibians: Conservation and Natural History 21: 86–92.
- Henderson RW (2002) Neotropical treeboas: natural history of the Corallus hortulanus complex. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, 197 pp.
- Yánez-Muñoz MH, Pozo-Zamora GM, Sornoza-Molina F, Brito J (2017) Dos nuevos registros de vertebrados en la dieta de la boa de jardines Corallus hortulanus (Squamata: Boidae) en el noroeste de la Amazonía. Cuadernos de Herpetología 31: 41–47. DOI: 10.31017/9732
- Marques R, Mebert K, Fonseca E, Rödder D, Solé M, Tinôco MS (2016) Composition and natural history notes of the coastal snake assemblage from Northern Bahia, Brazil. ZooKeys 611: 93–142. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.611.9529
- Henderson RW (1993) On the diets of some arboreal boids. Herpetological Natural History 1: 91–96.
- Pizzatto L, Marques OAV, Facure K (2009) Food habits of Brazilian boid snakes: overview and new data, with special reference to Corallus hortulanus. Amphibia-Reptilia 30: 533–544. DOI: 10.1163/156853809789647121
- Ribeiro-Júnior MA, Ferrari SF, Ferreira Lima JR, da Silva CR, Dias Lima J (2016) Predation of a squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) by an Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus): even small boids may be a potential threat to small-bodied platyrrhines. Primates 57: 317–322. DOI: 10.1007/s10329-016-0545-z
- Chippaux JP (1986) Les serpents de la Guyane Française. Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération, Paris, 165 pp.
- Henderson RW, Pauers MJ, Colston TJ (2013) On the congruence of morphology, trophic ecology, and phylogeny in Neotropical treeboas (Squamata: Boidae: Corallus). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 109: 466–475. DOI: 10.1111/bij.12052
- da Costa Silva P, Henderson RW (2013) Barn Owl (Tyto alba) predation on Corallus hortulanus (Squamata, Boidae). Herpetology Notes 6: 35.
- Viana PF (2017) Corallus hortulanus (Amazon Tree Boa): neonate size and timing of reproduction in captivity. Herpetological Review 48: 87.
- Bartecki U, Heymann EW (1987) Field observation of snakemobbing in a group of Saddle-back Tamarins, Saguinus fuscicollis nigrifrons. Folia Primatologia 48: 199–202.
- da Costa Silva P, Henderson RW (2014) Mating behavior of Amazon Treeboas, Corallus hortulanus (Squamata: Boidae), on Batatas Island, Piauí, Brazil. Herpetology Notes 7: 335–336.
- Pizzatto L, Marques OAV (2007) Reproductive ecology of Boinae snakes with emphasis on Brazilian species and a comparison to pythons. South American Journal of Herpetology 2: 107–122. DOI: 10.2994/1808-9798(2007)2[107:REOBSW]2.0.CO;2
- Bernarde PS, Machado RA (2010) Corallus hortulanus (Amazon Tree Boa): timing of reproduction. Herpetological Review 41: 89.
- Starace F (1998) Serpents et amphisbènes de Guyane Française. Ibis Rouge Editions, Guadeloupe, 450 pp.
- Bowler JK (1975) Longevity of reptiles and amphibians in North American collections as of 1 November, 1975. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular 6: 1–32.
- Calderón M, Ortega A, Nogueira C, Gagliardi G, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Hoogmoed M, Schargel W, Rivas G (2016) Corallus hortulanus. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T203210A2762194.en
- Carrillo E, Aldás A, Altamirano M, Ayala F, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Endara A, Márquez C, Morales M, Nogales F, Salvador P, Torres ML, Valencia J, Villamarín F, Yánez-Muñoz M, Zárate P (2005) Lista roja de los reptiles del Ecuador. Fundación Novum Millenium, Quito, 46 pp.
- Reyes-Puig C (2015) Un método integrativo para evaluar el estado de conservación de las especies y su aplicación a los reptiles del Ecuador. MSc thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 73 pp.
- Reynolds RG, Henderson RW (2018) Boas of the World (Superfamily Booidae): a checklist with systematic, taxonomic, and conservation assessments. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 162: 1–58. DOI: 10.3099/MCZ48.1
- UNEP-WCMC (2014) Review of species selected on the basis of the analysis of 2014 CITES export quotas. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, 66 pp.
- Nogueira CC, Argôlo AJS, Arzamendia V, Azevedo JA, Barbo FE, Bérnils RS, Bolochio BE, Borges-Martins M, Brasil-Godinho M, Braz H, Buononato MA, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Colli GR, Costa HC, Franco FL, Giraudo A, Gonzalez RC, Guedes T, Hoogmoed MS, Marques OAV, Montingelli GG, Passos P, Prudente ALC, Rivas GA, Sanchez PM, Serrano FC, Silva NJ, Strüssmann C, Vieira-Alencar JPS, Zaher H, Sawaya RJ, Martins M (2019) Atlas of Brazilian snakes: verified point-locality maps to mitigate the Wallacean shortfall in a megadiverse snake fauna. South American Journal of Herpetology 14: 1–274. DOI: 10.2994/SAJH-D-19-00120.1
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
- Daudin FM (1803) Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière des reptiles. De l’Imprimerie de F. Dufart, Paris, 365 pp.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Corallus hortulana in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Belén de los Andaquíes, 3 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Puerto Asís | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Cusuime | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Miazal | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Nayumbime | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Río Cusuime | Henderson et al. 2009 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Santiago de Tiwintza | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Gareno Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Huaorani Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Jatun Sacha Biological Station | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Payamino | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Sinchi Sacha | Photo by Ernesto Arbeláez |
| Ecuador | Napo | Suchipakari Lodge | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yachana Reserve | Whitworth & Beirne 2011 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Campo NPF | Photo by Paulina Romero |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Campo Yuturi, 7 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Coca | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Cominudad Shuar Nunkui y Kunkut | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Cononaco | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Dícaro, 24 km downstream from, on Río Yasuní | María José Quiroz, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Orellana | ECY–Tiputini 1 | Photo by Francisco Sornoza |
| Ecuador | Orellana | ECY, 2 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | ECY, 8 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | El Edén Amazon Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Inés Arango | Henderson 1997 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Ishpingo Pakcha, 5 km NE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Loreto | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Los Laureles | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Ñoneno (Ñuneno) | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | NPF, 5 km W of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Nuevo Rocafuerte | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | NWC, senderos | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Añangu | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Yasuní, near lake Jatuncocha | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | San José de Payamino | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Shiripuno Lodge | Photo by Fernando Vaca |
| Ecuador | Orellana | TBS, 70 downstream from | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tiputini Biodiversity Station | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tres de Noviembre | Henderson 1997 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Via Pompeya South–Iro, km 77 | Photo by Morley Read |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Vía Pompeya Sur–Iro, Km 90 | Photo by Morley Read |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yarina Eco Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yasuní Scientific Station | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Alto Curaray | Henderson 1997 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Arajuno, 7 km NE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Balsaura | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Campo Villano | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Comunidad Puka Yaku | Freddy Velásquez, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Curaray Medio | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Juyuintza | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Kurintza | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Lorocachi | Online multimedia |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Montalvo | Henderson 1997 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Pavacachi | USNM 204091; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Pindoyacu | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Chambira | Henderson 1997 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Rutuno | USNM 204093; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Tigre | USNM 204092; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Sarayacu | Henderson 1997 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Villano, 7 km NE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Adhán Payahüaje | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Aguas Negras Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Batallón Tungurahua | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Caiman Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Casa Payaguaje, 3 km NW of | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Centinela | OMNH 36516.0; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Cofán Bermejo Ecological Reserve | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Comunidad Sani Isla | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Comunidad Zábalo, 5.6 km E of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Cuyabeno River Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Dureno | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Dureno, 10 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Garzacocha | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Heron Lake, 1.2 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | La Selva Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lago Agrio | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Laguna Grande | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Laguna Grande, 1.3 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Limoncocha Biological Reserve | Henderson 1997 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Limoncocha, 2 km NW of | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Loracachi | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Napo Wildlife Center | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Nicky Amazon Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Pañacocha | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Parque Recreativo Lago Agrio | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Piranha Ecolodge | Online multimedia |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Playas del Cuyabeno | UIMNH 61194; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Providencia, 2.5 km NE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Reserva Cuyabeno, near Ecuador-Perú border | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Aguarico | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Aguarico, near mouth of Río Pacuyacu | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Cuyabeno | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Cuyabeno, near Amazon Dolphin Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Cuyabeno, near Hot Spots lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Cuyabeno, near Piranha Ecolodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Cuyabeno, nearby Bamboo Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Güeppi | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Zábalo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Río Zábalo camp | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sacha Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sani Lodge | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Cecilia | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Sector Tarsipao II | Yanez-Muñoz et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Shushufindi, 4 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Tapir lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Perú | Amazonas | El Cenepa | USNM 316565; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Río Santiago | USNM 566706; VertNet |
| Perú | Loreto | Pastaza | Henderson 1997 |
| Perú | Loreto | Puerto Cavero | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Loreto | Río Lagartococha | USNM 521053; VertNet |
| Perú | Loreto | Teniente Manuel Clavero | Henderson 1997 |