Red-tailed green rat snake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum)

Short answers

Red-tailed green rat snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

150×80×150 cm (height).

Red-tailed green rat snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 31 °C, at night 22–24 °C.

Red-tailed green rat snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended.

Red-tailed green rat snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 15–20 years.

Red-tailed green rat snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

22–24 °C

Basking spot

31 °C

Humidity

70–85 %

UVB

Recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

150×80×150 cm (height)

Substrate

Coco humus, plenty of climbing branches, dense planting, a large water spot

Feeding

Food

Frozen-thawed mice, chicks

Feeding interval

adults every 10–14 days

Key facts

Adult size

180–240 cm

Life expectancy

15–20 years

Origin

South-East Asia – rainforest, mangroves

Protection status

Not listed under CITES

Brumation

None

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 large, climbing-keen arboreal species. Considered spirited and ready to defend itself; it needs height rather than floor area and plenty of visual screening, or it is permanently stressed.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

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

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Red-tailed green rat snake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (150×80×150 cm (height)), substrate (Coco humus, plenty of climbing branches, dense planting, a large water spot), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.