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THAI BAMBOO RAT SNAKE
(Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi)
Blake Skinner
www.BCSkinzReptiles.com
Thai bamboo rat snakes are small Asian colubrid snakes for the advanced keeper. These rat snakes live in a variety of habitats ranging from mountainous forests to plains with rocks and bamboo. In the wild they are terrestrial burrowers who spend most of their time in hiding under logs, rocks, moss and grass. They are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon.
HOUSING
All Snakes should be housed according to their size. Smaller snakes will be comfortable in smaller terrariums and larger snakes need to be housed in larger terrariums. A general rule is that your enclosure should be at least the length of your snake. You shouldn’t keep a very small snake in a large enclosure and let the snake grow into it because it will stress the snake out. You need to upgrade the size of the enclosure as the snake grows. Usually 2-3 upgraded terrariums should be enough in a snakes lifetime. You can use plastic or glass terrariums for Thai bamboo rat snakes. Make sure your enclosure has a very secure lid. Snakes are escape artists and they will find their way out if there is a way. You can buy screen lids that attach to the tank or you can make a lid yourself, but make sure it has good airflow.
All Snakes should be housed according to their size. Smaller snakes will be comfortable in smaller terrariums and larger snakes need to be housed in larger terrariums. A general rule is that your enclosure should be at least the length of your snake. You shouldn’t keep a very small snake in a large enclosure and let the snake grow into it because it will stress the snake out. You need to upgrade the size of the enclosure as the snake grows. Usually 2-3 upgraded terrariums should be enough in a snakes lifetime. You can use plastic or glass terrariums for Thai bamboo rat snakes. Make sure your enclosure has a very secure lid. Snakes are escape artists and they will find their way out if there is a way. You can buy screen lids that attach to the tank or you can make a lid yourself, but make sure it has good airflow.
HOUSING INTERIOR
Inside the enclosure you should have at least two tight fitting hide spots for your Thai bamboo rat snake to hide in. One hide spot should be on the warm side of the enclosure and one should be on the cool side of the enclosure. Thai bamboo rat snakes need high humidity areas. Create a humidity hut by placing moist sphagnum moss in a tupperware and cut a hole it the lid twice the width of your snake. Your snake should always have access to a water bowl large enough for the snake to fit its entire body in. The water bowl should always be full of fresh water.
HEATING/ TEMPS/ LIGHTING
All snakes are poikilothermal, which means they create their internal temperature from the ambient temperatures around them. Poikilothermal baskicall means cold blooded. Thai Rat's are from a semi-tropical environment. Their day time temps should range between 68 F - 85 F (20 C - 29 C). One side of the enclosure needs to be lower to offset the warmer temperatures. You can achieve this with an under tank heat pad on one side of the enclosure. Heat rocks are not a good
source of heat because they often lead to burned reptiles. Night time temperatures can drop between 64 F - 72 F (18C - 22 C). Always use a thermostat to control the temperature of the enclosure and monitor the themperature with a thermometer. Full specturm lighting is always best for any reptile. You can achieve 12 ON x 12 hours OFF with any timer. UVB lighting is not necessary bit it can be used to increase the calcium intake of your Thai Bamboo Rat Snake.
DAILY MAINTENANCE
Thai bamboo rat snakes need to be misted regularly. Mist the substrate and sphagnum moss. Moisture is very important for these snakes. The most common husbandry problem with Thai bamboo rat snakes is lack of moisture. Spot clean the enclosure as necessary and wash the walls of the enclosure if the snake defecates on them.
SUBSTRATES
A substrate is the flooring that you will provide for the snake. Thai bamboo rat snakes thrive with a good soil substrate or cypress mulch. Soil and cypress will hold the humidity which is essential for this species. Aspen is NOT a suitable substrate for these snakes. I mix coco-fiber and cypress mulch together for my Thai bamboo rat snakes. Never use Pine or Fir products of any kind. Pine and Fir can lead to respiratory problems with all reptiles. Thai bamboo Rat Snakes like to burrow under the substrate so provide enough that they can when they want to. Co-co fiber and cypress mulch are good substates for burrowing snakes.
A substrate is the flooring that you will provide for the snake. Thai bamboo rat snakes thrive with a good soil substrate or cypress mulch. Soil and cypress will hold the humidity which is essential for this species. Aspen is NOT a suitable substrate for these snakes. I mix coco-fiber and cypress mulch together for my Thai bamboo rat snakes. Never use Pine or Fir products of any kind. Pine and Fir can lead to respiratory problems with all reptiles. Thai bamboo Rat Snakes like to burrow under the substrate so provide enough that they can when they want to. Co-co fiber and cypress mulch are good substates for burrowing snakes.
FEEDING
Thai bamboo rat snakes should be fed according to their size. These snakes are enthusiastic feeders. Hatchling Thai bamboo rat snakes will eat one or two pinky mice each week. Feed your Thai bamboo rat snake frozen/thawed rodents (mice, rats) that are slightly wider than the thickest part of your snake. Feeding the snake rodents that are too large can lead to regurgitation. You should always try to get your snake feeding on frozen thawed rodents. This will save your snake from being injured by a live mouse or rat during feeding. Buying frozen rodents in bulk and keeping them in the freezer will also save you money. Live rodents are more expensive and you usually need to travel to a pet store to pick them up. Thaw rats before feeding them to your Thai bamboo rat snake. Use tongs to put some distance between your hand and the prey. Use your tongs to hold the rodent by the skin on its back, not the tail. Your snake will have better accuracy if you hold the rodent by its skin than dangling it by the tail.
Blake Skinner
www.BCSkinzReptiles.com
RESOURCE SITE: www.proexotics.com
