Rhombic night adder (Causus rhombeatus)

Short answers

Rhombic night adder: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100×50×50 cm.

Rhombic night adder: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–29 °C, basking spot 31–32 °C, at night 19–22 °C.

Rhombic night adder: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB recommended.

Rhombic night adder: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 10–15 years.

Rhombic night adder: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–29 °C

Night temperature

19–22 °C

Basking spot

31–32 °C

Humidity

60–75 %

UVB

UVB recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

100×50×50 cm

Substrate

Soil with leaf litter, damp hides, a shallow water basin

Feeding

Food

Only amphibians or frozen frogs – it usually will not take rodents

Feeding interval

every 7–10 days

Key facts

Adult size

60–90 cm

Life expectancy

10–15 years

Origin

Sub-Saharan Africa – humid savannah

Protection status

VENOMOUS (comparatively mild, rarely life-threatening) – still a dangerous animal

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 frog eater – obtaining food is the real hurdle and has to be sorted out before purchase. The venom is markedly weaker than in other vipers, but a bite is still painful and needs treatment.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

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Related species

• Savanna vine snake (Thelotornis capensis) – Expert
• Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) – Expert
• Egyptian saw-scaled viper (Echis pyramidum) – Expert
• Barnett's lancehead (Bothrops barnetti) – Expert
• Usambara bush viper (Atheris ceratophora) – Expert
• Ottoman viper (Montivipera xanthina) – Expert
• Malayan krait (Bungarus candidus) – Expert
• Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Rhombic night adder (Causus rhombeatus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100×50×50 cm), substrate (Soil with leaf litter, damp hides, a shallow water basin), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.