Glossy snake (Arizona elegans)

Short answers

Glossy snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 140×70×70 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, glossy snakes).

Glossy snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 32–34 °C, at night 18–22 °C.

Glossy snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not essential (weak UVB is possible).

Glossy snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 12–18 years.

Glossy snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes – it is considered suitable for beginners (difficulty: Beginner).

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

32–34 °C

Humidity

40–50 %

UVB

Not essential (weak UVB is possible)

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 140×70×70 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, glossy snakes)

Substrate

Sand-loam they can dig in, hides, climbing branches

Feeding

Food

Rodents

Feeding interval

Adults 1×/week

Key facts

Adult size

90–140 cm

Life expectancy

12–18 years

Origin

The south-western USA, northern Mexico

Protection status

—

Brumation

Yes, 8–10 weeks at 12–15 °C

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Snakes are solitary and do not seek company — a shared hide is competition for the best spot, not social behaviour. The concrete reason is the feeding accident: if two animals grab the same food item, one can swallow the other along with it. On top of that, once they are kept together you can no longer tell which animal has eaten and which is losing weight. For breeding, put them together under supervision and separate them again afterwards.

Notes

A quiet, nocturnal colubrid with straightforward requirements — similar in behaviour to the bullsnakes, but markedly smaller and quieter.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Baja California gopher snake (Pituophis vertebralis) – Intermediate
• Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) – Beginner
• Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer) – Intermediate
• Pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) – Intermediate
• Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni) – Intermediate
• Mexican pine snake (Pituophis deppei) – Intermediate
• Middle American gopher snake (Pituophis lineaticollis) – Intermediate
• Northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Glossy snake (Arizona elegans) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 140×70×70 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, glossy snakes)), substrate (Sand-loam they can dig in, hides, climbing branches), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.