Four-lined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata)

Short answers

Four-lined snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 250×125×200 cm (minimum size according to the 1997 expert report, climbing colubrids); adult, a very large species — considerably bigger is better.

Four-lined snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 25–30 °C, basking spot ~32 °C (local hot spot), at night 18–22 °C.

Four-lined snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB not essential, weak UVB recommended.

Four-lined snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–25 years in captivity.

Four-lined snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

25–30 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

~32 °C (local hot spot)

Humidity

approx. 60 %

UVB

UVB not essential, weak UVB recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 250×125×200 cm (minimum size according to the 1997 expert report, climbing colubrids); adult, a very large species — considerably bigger is better

Substrate

A sand-soil mix or quartz sand, stone slabs, decorative cork; a large water basin, a clear split between land and water

Feeding

Food

Frozen-thawed mice and rats; adults also take larger rodents

Feeding interval

adults every 10–14 days, juveniles every 5–7 days

Key facts

Adult size

usually 150–200 cm, up to ~250 cm (females larger)

Life expectancy

15–25 years in captivity

Origin

Süd- und Südosteuropa: Italien (Toskana bis Sizilien), Slowenien, Kroatien, Bosnien, Montenegro, Albanien, Nordmazedonien, Westbulgarien, Griechenland mit vielen Inseln

Protection status

Strictly protected – Habitats Directive Annexes II and IV, "strictly protected" under German nature conservation law; registration with the nature conservation authority plus proof of origin or an EU commercial-use certificate are required

Brumation

A winter rest of about 3–4 months at about 8–12 °C

Cohabitation

Keep them singly – solitary; only temporarily for supervised breeding. Even where group keeping works, the feeding accident remains the risk: always feed them singly, ideally in separate boxes, and only house animals of roughly the same size together.

Notes

A calm, sluggish, very large colubrid – because of the final size a roomy terrarium is needed (the 80×50×50 cm given in some sources is only an absolute minimum for juveniles and too small for adults). Acquire only legal captive-bred animals with papers.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Russian rat snake (Elaphe schrenckii) – Beginner
• Twin-spotted ratsnake (Elaphe bimaculata) – Beginner
• Dione rat snake (Elaphe dione) – Beginner
• King rat snake (Elaphe carinata) – Intermediate
• Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) – Intermediate
• Baird's rat snake (Pantherophis bairdi) – Beginner
• Red bamboo rat snake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus) – Intermediate
• Western fox snake (Pantherophis vulpinus) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Four-lined snake (Elaphe quatuorlineata) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 250×125×200 cm (minimum size according to the 1997 expert report, climbing colubrids); adult, a very large species — considerably bigger is better), substrate (A sand-soil mix or quartz sand, stone slabs, decorative cork; a large water basin, a clear split between land and water), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.