Tricolor hognose snake (Xenodon pulcher)

Short answers

Tricolor hognose snake: How big does the enclosure need to be?

80×40×40 cm.

Tricolor hognose snake: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 25–31 °C, basking spot 33 °C, at night 19–23 °C.

Tricolor hognose snake: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended (UVB 5.0).

Tricolor hognose snake: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 10–15 years.

Tricolor hognose snake: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

25–31 °C

Night temperature

19–23 °C

Basking spot

33 °C

Humidity

50–65 %

UVB

Recommended (UVB 5.0)

Enclosure

Minimum size

80×40×40 cm

Substrate

Sand-loam 8–12 cm for digging, leaf litter, a cork hide

Feeding

Food

Frosch-/Eidechsen-Fertigfutter, kleine Wachteln und Wachteleier; Mäuse nur ausnahmsweise. In der Natur nahezu ausschließlich Amphibien und Echsen, keine Säugetiere dokumentiert.

Feeding interval

1×/week

Key facts

Adult size

50–70 cm

Life expectancy

10–15 years

Origin

Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia

Protection status

Not listed under CITES; opisthoglyphous, harmless to people

Brumation

A cooler spell of 6–8 weeks

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

It mimics coral snakes in colour and behaviour but is harmless. Diurnal, and it digs a lot. A much sought-after species – watch for captive breeding and reliable acceptance of frozen food.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Blonde hognose snake (Leioheterodon modestus) – Intermediate
• Malagasy giant hognose (Leioheterodon madagascariensis) – Intermediate
• Mexican hognose snake (Heterodon kennerlyi) – Beginner
• Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos) – Intermediate
• Geay's hognose snake (Leioheterodon geayi) – Intermediate
• Southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus) – Intermediate
• Western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) – Beginner
• Common egg-eating snake (Dasypeltis scabra) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Tricolor hognose snake (Xenodon pulcher) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (80×40×40 cm), substrate (Sand-loam 8–12 cm for digging, leaf litter, a cork hide), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.