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THE CASE OF C.B.B. EMERALDS VS. WILD-CAUGHT EMERALDS We have prepared this page in order to clear up three popular misconceptions regarding Emerald Tree Boas. Most of these misconceptions occur because the novice herper mistakingly lumps C.B.B. Emeralds together on the same playing field as wild-caught Emeralds. It is our hope and belief that this page will give C.B.B. Emeralds the respect and recognition that they deserve. As an experienced keeper of C.B.B. Emeralds for almost 15 years, I feel that I can offer these facts accurately and matter-of-factly.
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MISCONCEPTION NUMBER 1: Emeralds Have A Mean Temperament. I have been a keeper of Captive Bred and Born (C.B.B.) Emerald Tree Boas since 1993, and I can honestly say there is not an Emerald in my collection of almost 50 arboreals that I cannot handle. One of the main reasons for this is because they are all C.B.B. Another reason is that many of them have been handled by me since they were babies. And when I say handled, I mean I can hold them in my bare hands; not behind the head trying to restrain them, but rather hands on enjoyment in a non-stressful interaction! I own no snake hooks or thick gloves and never plan to. If Emeralds are something I can never touch and enjoy with my hands free of gloves or hooks, than where’s the real enjoyment in it as a passionate keeper of these beautiful, living works of art that I’m blessed with? When you purchase C.B.B., you get C.B.B. temperament. When you purchase wild-caught, however, you are taking several gambles - one of which is the possibility of receiving an animal you may never be able to properly handle. Their defensive instincts are much more fragile and unpredictable. Think about their experiences during their journey from the wild and into captivity. They’re lassoed out of a tree, thrown in a box with several others, held in a wire cage for who knows how long, shipped half-way around the world, bought by a middle man and finally purchased by an unsuspecting, enthusiastic buyer who wants to handle them and give them a hands-on examination. By this time the Emerald is usually ticked off and highly stressed as well! The reason Emeralds get a bad rap for being flighty with tendencies to bite is because when people purchase wild-caughts that are overly aggressive and stressed, the Emerald may never settle well into a captive environment or daily routine. This may give the first time Emerald keeper a very bad overall experience/impression which leads to all the bad Emerald times-and-trials stories that seem to plague these misunderstood gems of the rain forest. These stories lead to giving all Emeralds a bad and unfair reputation.
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MISCONCEPTION NUMBER 3: It Is Perfectly Safe To Introduce Wild-Caughts Into A Collection Of C.B.B. Emeralds. If you do decide to purchase both wild-caught Emeralds and C.B.B. Emeralds, you are at risk of jeopardizing your entire collection. Even with proper quarantine procedures, a wild-caught Emerald may be host to a disease/element that lie undetected for some time or until a stressful change in its routine occurs. e.g. being placed into a breeding project. C.B.B. Emeralds do not have the same immunities as wild-caught Emeralds because they have never been exposed to the trials and conditions of life in the trees. C.B.B. have greater difficulty fighting off something they have never been exposed to. These diseases can wipe out your entire collection. I have been given permission from a fellow breeder to use his story as an example: This breeder had a “long-term captive” female Emerald for several years which appeared to be a “clean”, all-around healthy animal. He decided to enter this female into a breeding project with a C.B.B. male that he had raised since it was just a baby. The pair successfully bred, but after a short time the male started showing signs of a severe respiratory infection. The breeder began to treat the infection with a round of antibiotics. However, after the fourth or fifth injection, he noticed that the male Emerald was not improving and decided to have a culture taken. Before the results of the culture came back the male had perished. The culture and an eventual necropsy showed that the male had several parasites in his lungs. This protozoan infection prevented the male from breathing properly, thus causing him to secrete the mucus fluids. The “long-term captive” female was able to survive normally with a such a condition, but the C.B.B. male could not because he had no antibodies built up for such a condition, thus making it much more difficult for him to fight off. This is just one of many stories I could recite about the possible consequences of mixing wild-caught Emeralds with C.B.B. Emeralds.
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MISCONCEPTION NUMBER 2: Wild-Caught Emeralds Are Just As Solid As C.B.B. I cannot state strongly enough how much I disagree with this misconception. Emeralds do not come more solid than C.B.B. For one, you know their history. There’s no mystery about what they’ve been exposed to in the wild or when held on an importer farm with countless others. Secondly, a good breeder should be able to tell you the genetics and health of the C.B.B. animal you are purchasing. What do you know of the genetics and health of an Emerald brought in from the wild? Also, don’t let the phrase “long-term captive” fool you. At the end of the day long-term captive still equals wild-caught or imported. The real mystery of wild-caught Emeralds is what they have been exposed to while in the wild before they were collected and then introduced into a captive environment: 1. Were they feeding on parasite toting tree frogs or geckos? 2. Were they exposed to infections and blood sucking parasites? If so what type of lower lying infections or viruses may lay undetected? 3. What if the Emerald has trouble holding down it’s food? Then you have to ask yourself yet another set of questions: a. Was the food item too big? b. Are the temps and humidity adequate? c. Is stress causing the regurgitation problem? d. Is the Emerald suffering from lack of nutrition or proper care? e. Did the Emerald catch something at the exporter’s place either by drinking contaminated or soiled water, or from being housed in an over-crowded holding pen with sick Emeralds? 4. If the Emerald does have a virus or parasite, is the ailment airborne? If so, how will this affect the rest of my collection? 5. Can the Emerald ultimately survive the administration of prescribed meds? 6. What is going to be the cost of the vet bills? In your final frustrated and stressed state, you finally realize it would have been much easier and economical to have initially purchased a C.B.B. Emerald from a reputable breeder.
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SUMMARY: Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. In the past, wild bloodlines were vital to the growth of the Emerald population in captivity. Presently, however, we no longer need to take the risk of bringing in wild-caught Emeralds. There are enough reputable breeders of C.B.B. Emeralds to fulfill the need or demand of adding new and unrelated bloodlines to the population of captive Emerald collections. If you’re going to get into Emeralds long-term, start out with the strongest foundation possible and do nothing to compromise it. Sure, wild-caught Emeralds appear to be cheaper and can be very beautiful, but they are always a risk. They are never a sure bet. With the good possibility of eventual vet bills and loss of other animals in your collection as a result of bringing a wild-caught Emerald home, are they really any more affordable? On the contrary, a wild-caught Emerald could end up costing you a lot. Why not spend a little more money initially and receive a headache free animal that you don’t have to guess about? Always start out with the strongest foundation possible, and you won’t ever be sorry. Also, before you make ANY Emerald purchasing decisions, thoroughly research any and all references you can about the breeder. Emeralds aren’t cheap. Don’t waste your money on a fly-by-night dealer with a pretty website who won’t be there to answer any questions you might have next week. In summary, when contemplating purchasing one of these wonderful Emeralds I find so beautiful and amazing, purchase C.B.B. from a reputable breeder, and you can’t go wrong.
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