Our New Resident is Hard to Spot

Posted Date

September 30, 2026

Category

Animal Updates, In The News

Slither on over to the Aquatic & Reptile Center to meet one of the Zoo’s recent additions: an emerald tree boa. Ziggy (sex currently unknown) is 3 years old. They arrived here in late May from the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque. After undergoing our standard 90-day quarantine period for reptiles, Ziggy became publicly-viewable. Guests can find them sharing a habitat with our red-tailed boa, William Snakespear, and eyelash viper, Gray Worm.

The emerald tree boa is a new species to the Zoo, and our animal care team notes that Ziggy is very easy-going.

Fast Facts:

Their brilliant green coloring helps the emerald tree boa camouflage into their native habitat: South American tropical rainforests.
However, they’re born red to yellow-orange, turning green within the first year.
These boas have the largest teeth of any non-venomous snake in the world.
They drape themselves in coils across tree branches, using their prehensile tails to provide a firm grip. They constrict their prey, often eating suspended from a branch.