Red bamboo rat snake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus)

Short answers

Red bamboo rat snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×60 cm.

Red bamboo rat snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 20–26 °C (COOL), basking spot No basking spot needed; locally never above 27 °C, at night 18–20 °C.

Red bamboo rat snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not required.

Red bamboo rat snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–20 years.

Red bamboo rat snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

20–26 °C (COOL)

Night temperature

18–20 °C

Basking spot

No basking spot needed; locally never above 27 °C

Humidity

50-70 %, substrate only lightly damp, plus a permanently humid hide box with sphagnum

UVB

Not required

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×60 cm

Substrate

Coco humus with leaf litter, cork tubes, moss, a water dish

Feeding

Food

Frozen-thawed mice of a suitable size

Feeding interval

Adults every 10-14 days, subadults every 7-10 days, juveniles every 5-7 days; feed rather sparingly, the species feeds well and gains weight easily.

Key facts

Adult size

70–110 cm

Life expectancy

15–20 years

Origin

South and South-East Asia – montane forest

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

A cooler spell of 8–12 weeks at 10–15 °C

Cohabitation

Pair and even small group housing is possible with this species and is practised by breeders — unlike most ratsnakes. This requires plenty of flat hiding places and a humid enclosure so that every animal has its own spot. Feeding is done individually in a feeding box: if two animals in the enclosure strike at the same mouse, one can swallow the other along with it, and otherwise you cannot tell which animal has fed. Different subspecies must never share an enclosure, or hybrids result. Juveniles are raised individually.

Notes

Brilliant red-brown with black lengthwise stripes – visually one of the most attractive colubrids. A montane forest species: temperatures above 28 °C are critical, and a cool room is needed in summer. It lives very hidden.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Russian rat snake (Elaphe schrenckii) – Beginner
• Aesculapian snake (Zamenis longissimus) – Intermediate
• Baird's rat snake (Pantherophis bairdi) – Beginner
• Twin-spotted ratsnake (Elaphe bimaculata) – Beginner
• Western fox snake (Pantherophis vulpinus) – Beginner
• Rhinoceros rat snake (Gonyosoma boulengeri) – Intermediate
• Green rat snake (Senticolis triaspis) – Intermediate
• Green bush rat snake (Gonyosoma prasinum) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Red bamboo rat snake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×60 cm), substrate (Coco humus with leaf litter, cork tubes, moss, a water dish), a heat source with a thermostat, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.