Oriental vine snake (Ahaetulla prasina)

Short answers

Oriental vine snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

From 180×90×200 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, whip snakes).

Oriental vine snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 32 °C, at night 21–23 °C.

Oriental vine snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (T5 4–6 %).

Oriental vine snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 8–12 years.

Oriental vine snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Experts).

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

21–23 °C

Basking spot

32 °C

Humidity

70–85 %

UVB

Recommended (T5 4–6 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

from 180×90×200 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, whip snakes)

Substrate

Humus and sand, dense planting, plenty of thin climbing branches

Feeding

Food

Small lizards and frogs; hard to switch over to rodents

Feeding interval

1–2×/week

Key facts

Adult size

150–180 cm

Life expectancy

8–12 years

Origin

South-East Asia

Protection status

—

Brumation

No

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

Mildly venomous (opisthoglyphous) — bites are usually harmless to humans, but the species is not one for beginners. The real problem is the food: wild-caught animals often take only lizards, and captive-bred ones are the only sensible choice. A very tall, planted enclosure is needed.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Common egg-eating snake (Dasypeltis scabra) – Intermediate
• African house snake (Boaedon fuliginosus) – Beginner
• False water cobra (Hydrodynastes gigas) – Experts
• Spotted house snake (Boaedon maculatus) – Beginner
• Western whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus) – Intermediate
• Striped house snake (Boaedon lineatus) – Beginner
• Smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis) – Expert
• Rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Oriental vine snake (Ahaetulla prasina) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (from 180×90×200 cm (minimum size per the 1997 expert report, whip snakes)), substrate (Humus and sand, dense planting, plenty of thin 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.