Brown House Snake (Boaedon fuliginosus)

Brown House Snake Boaedon fuliginosus
Name	Brown House Snake
Name Lat.	Boaedon fuliginosus
Synonym	Lamprophis fuliginosus
Family	Colubrids
Family lat.	Colubridae
Order	Scaled Reptiles
Order lat.	Squamata
Origin	Africa
Habitat	Grassland
Diet	Small mammals
Humidity	50-80 %
Behavior	Nocturnal; peaceful
Keeping	Individual, pair, group
Care Level	Moderate
Reproduction	Oviparous
Housing	Semi-humid terrarium
Life Span	5-7 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	60-100 cm
Temperature	24-30 °C
Temperature Local	30-35 °C
Housing Size	100 x 50 x 50 cm
US Units
Size	24"-39"
Temperature	75-86 °F
Temperature Local	86-95 °F
Housing Size	40" x 20" x 20"

Distribution and habitat

The distribution area of the crepuscular to nocturnal, ground-living brown house snake is the entire African continent, except in the north and the desert regions. They live in the savannahs, mostly under stones and in earth burrows, and as cultural followers near settlements.

Maintenance

Minimum dimensions for the terrarium, according to the size and number of animals:

1-2 animals

1KL x 0,5KL x 0,5KL (L x W x H)

Body length (KL) is measured on the largest animal. For each additional animal the floor space should be increased by 20%. A terrarium of e.g. L 100 x W 50 x H 50 cm is recommended, which should be placed in a quiet and vibration-free place.

They need a terrarium structured with roots, stones and cork tubes (hiding places and visual protection) with a graveable substrate, e.g. of sand-humus mixture with peat and foliage, as well as an easy-to-clean water basin as drinking vessel. To ensure constant humidity, a small portion of the substrate must always be kept slightly moist, for which sheets of sphagnum moss are well suited. Once a day, preferably in the evening, the inside of the terrarium should be finely sprayed with water. A rain or mist system is ideal

Temp. day: 24-28 °C

Temp. night: 18-23 °C

Temp. local: up to 35 °C

Humidity: 50-80

Thermostatically controlled floor heating is recommended. Lighting duration must be 12-14 hrs depending on the season. Daylight fluorescent tubes supplemented with spotlights are ideal.

Diet

The food supply consists of small rodents (mice, rats, etc.) and nestlings according to their size. After successful acclimatization often succeeds the switch to dead food animals (commercial frozen food). Juveniles should be offered food every 3-5 days, adults every 7-14 days, with occasional periods of fasting (e.g., skipping a feeding). If the snake is disturbed after feeding, this may result in vomiting of the prey. It is better to offer several small feeders, rather than one large one. If it does not eat for a long period of time, both the timing and the food should be varied. It is important to fortify the food animals with vitamins and minerals. Since the snake could be injured by live rodents, it should not be left unattended with them.

Reproduction and breeding

Probing by a veterinarian is a reliable method of sex determination.

The female lays her eggs (6-12 pieces) in the moist, about 5 cm deep substrate and does not perform brood care. The incubation period is 65-70 days at a temperature of 27 °C. The young are up to 15 cm in size and can be fed with nest young mice.

Life expectancy can be 5-7 years.

Important

They are shy and lead a hidden lifestyle

For the resting phase, the lighting duration is reduced by 2-6 hours for 2-4 months and the temperature is lowered by 3-10 °C, depending on the origin.

Always have snake hooks and protective gloves ready when handling.The terrarium must have good ventilation without drafts and meet the species-specific needs. Measuring devices such as thermometers, hygrometers, etc. are necessary. The lighting has to correspond to the species-specific day-night rhythm and has to be placed in such a way that the animals cannot injure themselves. The terrarium should be locked in such a way that neither unauthorized persons can open it nor the animals can escape. Contamination must be removed regularly

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Christian Sänger; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: BMELV (1997): Tierschutzgutachten -  Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Reptilien; ENGELMANN (2006): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Reptilien und Amphibien, Harri Deutsch Verlag

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF