snakeguide

BOA *Boidae*	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
Lost Temple	Amazon Tree Boa	Rainforest	Arboreal	Aggressive (can be docile)	3-7	20-30 gallon high. Humidity 70-80%	80-85F 76-78F	A	Food: Rodents, birds Lifespan: 12-20 years Include perches and limbs. Social: Solitary
	Anaconda * Green (G) Yellow (Y)	Rivers and swamps	Aquatic	Aggressive Y more than G	G 17-25-heavy body Y 8-12	Custom cage. 50-60% humidity	78-80F	A	Food: Rodent when small; larger animals in adults such as chickens, rabbits, and larger. Lifespan: 10-30 years. Largest/heaviest snakes. Size and demeanor make them inappropriate pets for the average person. Yellow easier to handle, although has more aggressive personality. Social: Solitary
	Brazilian Rainbow, Columbian Rainbow Boa	Rainforest Humid Forests	Semi-arboreal	Relatively docile	4-6	20-30 gallon 60-70% humidity	75-80F	Inter	Food: Rodent Lifespan: 20+ Social: Solitary
	Emerald Tree Boa *	Rainforest	Arboreal	Aggressive	7-9	20-30 gallon high. 70-80% humidity	80-84F 70-77F	A	Food: Small rat or mouse Lifespan: 12-20 years Provide strong branch for snake to wrap around. Needs height for climbing. Attacks prey from above. Social: Solitary
	Red tailed, Columbian, or Boa constrictor	Rainforest or Open Savannah	Ground Arboreal	Docile	5-12	40+ gallon 50-60% humidity	78-80F 72-78F	B/ Inter	Food: Rodents, lizards, birds every 15-23 days Lifespan: 20-30 Social: Solitary
	Rosy Boa	Desert	Ground	Docile	3-4	20+ gallon	78-80F 72-78F	B	Food: Mice Lifespan: 15-23 years Small size and docile nature makes them good first pet Social: Solitary or can be kept in pairs with adequate room
	Sand Boa Kenya Sand Boa	Semi arid	Ground Burrow in sand	Can be nippy	2-3	10-20 gallon tank	80-85 75-77	Inter	Food: Rodents, Lizards, Birds Lifespan: 15+ Spend most of time hiding Substrate: 3-5 inch of Aspen or sand/soil mix for burrowing. Social: Solitary
CORN *Colubrid* *(subspecies of Rat snake)*	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
	Corn Red Rat Anerythristic	Fields Forest Grassland Farms	Ground Semi-arboreal	Docile	3-6	20-40 gallon	70-75F 70+F	B	Food: Rodents, lizards Lifespan: 15-20+ Come in many color and pattern morphs. Good first snake. Social: Pairs or trios can be housed together if given adequate space. Provide some vertical space for climbing if possible
GOPHER *colubrid*	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
	Bullsnake	Grassland Sand prairie Woodland	Ground Burrow in soil	Semi-aggressive. Can be docile	6-8	40+ gallon w/ fake plant or vine	75-85F 75F	Inter	Food: Rodents. Small rabbits for larger adults. Lifespan: 20+ years When startled they hiss and rattle tails Social: Pairs or trios can be housed together if given adequate space.
	Cape or Baja gopher	Semi arid Dry tropical forest	Ground Burrow in soil	Aggressive as babies. Relatively docile as adults.	3-5	20 gallon	78F	B	Food: Small rodents, birds, eggs Lifespan: 15-20 years Social: Pairs or trios can be housed together if given adequate space.
GARTERRIBBON *colubrid*	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
.	Common, Eastern, Eastern blackhead Garter	Near ponds and streams Woodland	Ground Aquatic	Docile	2-3	20 Gallon	75-80F	B	Food: Rodents, amphibians, insects, lizards, fish, feeder fish, night crawlers Feed 2-3 times a week. Lifespan: 10+ years Protection: Emits musky odor from anal glands Do not put in tank full of water. Need dry tank with large bowl of water to soak in. High maintenance due to increased feeding & high metabolism that causes increased defecation. Social: Pairs or trios can be housed together
	Checkered Garter	Near streams and ponds Woodland	Ground Aquatic	Docile	2-3	20 gallon	75-80F	B	Food: Rodent, feeder fish, frogs, toads – accepts rodents more than other garters. Feed 2-3 times a week. Lifespan: 10+ years Protection: Emits musky odor from anal glands See Common & Social* for more information.
	Ribbon Eastern & Northern	Near ponds and streams Woodland	Ground Aquatic	Docile	1-3	20 gallon tank	75-80F	B	Food: Tadpoles, frogs, small mice, insects, minnow Feed 2-3 times a week. Lifespan: 10 years Protection: Emits musky odor from anal glands See Common & Social* for more information.
	Water, Florida Mangrove		Aquatic Ground	Docile	2-5	20 gallon	House temp	B	Food: Frogs, salamander, fish Lifespan: 10-15 years Feed 1-2x times a week. See Common & social* for more information.
GREEN SNAKE colubrid	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
. .	Rough/ Smooth Snake	Moist meadows, woodland, near ponds	Arboreal	Docile	2-4	20 gallon+ high. 50% humidity	70-80F	B	Food: Insects, spiders, snails, crickets, mealworms (does not constrict its prey). Gutload (feed) or calcium coated crickets Feed 3-4 times a week. Lifespan: 10+ years Mist tank – drinks droplets of water off plants. Provide branches to climb on. Needs UV lighting. Active during the daytime Social: One male with several females
HOG-NOSED colubrid	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
	Eastern Hog Nose	Dry – loose soil Woodland Priarie	Ground	Fairly docile	2-3	20 gallon 40-50% humidity	75-85F	Inter	Food: Frogs, Toads, Salamanders. Lifespan: 12+ Threatened: Head flattens and head comes up – hisses. Plays dead. Emits musk from anal gland. *Difficult to keep due to diet Needs suitable substrate to burrow in Rear Fanged – they do not constrict prey Social:* Pairs or trios can be housed together if given adequate space.
	Western Hog Nose	Grassland Prairie	Ground	Docile	2-3	10-20 gallon	78-88F	Inter	Food: Rodents, Frogs, Toads Lifespan: 12+ years Threatened: Head flattens and head comes up – hisses. Plays dead. Awake during the day Needs suitable substrate to burrow in Rear Fanged – they do not constrict prey Social: Pairs or trios can be housed together if given adequate space.
KING colubrid	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information KING SNAKES WILL EAT OTHER SNAKES *HOUSE ALONE*
	California Kingsnake	Desert Woodland Forest Riverside	Ground	Docile	3-5	20 gallon Low humidity	76-86F 70-80F	B	Food: Rodents, snakes, frogs, lizards Lifespan: 10-18 years Social: Solitary
	Scarlet Kingsnake	Prairie, pineland, fields	Ground		1-2	20 gallon Low humidity	76-86F 70-80F		Food: Rodents, snakes, lizards, eggs Lifespan: 15+ years Social: Solitary Can be difficult to feed Escape artists
	Grey Banded Kingsnake	Mountain Terrain	Ground	Docile	2-4	20 gallon Low humidity	76-86F 70-80F		Food: Lizards, rodents, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 20+ years Social: Solitary Provide securely anchored rocks Hatchlings can be difficult to feed
	Prairie/ Mole Kingsnake	Grassland loose soil Field Prairie	Ground	Docile	2-4	20 gallon Low humidity	76-86F 70-80F		Food: Lizards, rodents, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 15+ years Social: Solitary
	Desert Kingsnake	Desert Arid Grassland	Ground	Docile	3-4	20 gallon Low/ medium humidity	76-86F 70-80F		Food: Lizards, rodents, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 15-20 years Social: Solitary Will play dead
MILK *Colubrid* *(Subspecies* *of King Snake)*	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information MILK SNAKES WILL EAT OTHER SNAKES *HOUSE ALONE*
	Andean Milk Snake	Forests Grassland	Ground burrow	Docile	3-5	20 gallon Moderate humidity	78-85 70-75	B	Food: Rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 15+ years Social: Solitary Can be nervous when handled
	Mexican Milk Snake	Semi-arid brush	Ground	Docile	2-3	10-20 gallon Moderate humidity	78-85 70-75	B	Food: Rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 12-15 years Social: Solitary Can be nervous when handled
	Pueblan or Campbell Milk Snake	Semi-arid grassland Savannah	Ground	Docile can be nervous	2-3	10-20 gallon Moderate humidity	78-85 70-75	B	Food: Rodents, lizards, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 15-20 years Social: Solitary Can be nervous when handled
	Sinaloan Milk Snake	Semi-arid Grassland Desert	Ground	Docile	3-4	20 gallon Moderate humidity	78-85 70-75	B	Food: Lizards, rodents, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 15-20 years Social: Solitary Protection: Emits musky odor from anal glands Can be nervous when handled
	Red Milk Snake	Forest Grassland	Ground	Docile	2-3	10-20 gallon Moderate humidity	78-85 70-75	B	Food: Lizards, rodents, frogs, snakes Lifespan: 15-20 years Social: Solitary Hardiest of milk snakes Can be nervous when handled
PYTHON pythonidae	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
	African Rock Python *	Grassland Savannah near water	Primarily Ground	Aggressive	15-20	Custom Min 4 x 8 for adults	78-80F	A	Food: Rats when small, larger prey as adults (chickens, rabbits) Lifespan: 20+ Social: Solitary Thick branches for climbing *Not appropriate for beginners* – only experienced collectors with room and experience to feed adults.
	Ball or Royal Python	Grassland Savannah	Primarily Ground	Docile	3-5	20-30 gallon 50-60% humidity	78-85F 75-80F	B	Food: Rodents Lifespan: 20-40+ Social: Solitary, but may be kept in groups of one male with several females. Threatened: Rolls up in a ball. Different pattern and color morphs
	Burmese Python	Grassland Marshes Swamps Woodland	Ground Semi-aquatic Arboreal	Docile aggressive feeder	15-23	Custom tank 50-60% humidity	78-85F 75-80F	Inter/ A	Food: Rats, poultry, rabbits Lifespan: 15-25+ years Social: Solitary Although docile, powerful snake that can be dangerous – should be left to more experienced collectors
	Blood/ Short tailed Python	Marshes Swamps Riverbank Humid forest	Ground	Semi- Aggressive	4-6	20-30 gallon 50-60% humidity	78-82F 75+F	Inter	Food: Rats Lifespan: 25+ years Social: Solitary Not for beginners
	Carpet, Jungle Carpet Python	Woodland Rainforest	Semi-Arboreal	Docile to Semi-aggressive	4-10	40 gallon high 40-50% humidity	75-85F 70-75F	B/ Inter	Food: Rodents Lifespan: 20-30 years Social: Solitary
	Children’s Python	Woodland Rocky arid Forest	Semi-arboreal	Docile	3-4	30 gallon	75-85F 70-75F	B	Food: Reptiles, birds, rodents Lifespan: 15-30+ Social: Solitary (can be kept in pairs)
	Green Tree Python*	Rainforest bushes shrubs	Arboreal	Aggressive	3-5	20+ gallon high	75-85F 70-75F	A	Food: Rodents, reptiles Lifespan: 15+ years Social: Solitary Provide branches for climbing Born yellow or red
	Reticulated Python *	Rainforest Woodland Grassland Humid forest	Ground	Semi-docile to aggressive (varies) Unpredictable	20-30	Custom cage 50-60% humidity	78-80F 75+F	A	Food: Rodents when small. Larger snakes from chickens, rabbits and sometimes pigs Lifespan: 30+ years Social: Solitary Longest snake: Size and demeanor make them inappropriate pets for the average person.
	Spotted Python	Rocky hillside Caves	Primarily Ground	Semi-docile	3-4	30-50 gallon	75-85F 70-75F	Inter	Food: Rodents, bats Lifespan: 15+ years Social: Solitary, but can be kept in pairs or trios with adequate space.
RAT *colubrid*	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
	Baird’s	Semi-arid Rocky Desert	Ground	Docile	2-4	20 gallon Moderate humidity	75-85F	B	Food: Rodents Lifespan: 15-20 years Social: Can be kept in pairs or more More docile than some other rat snakes
	Great Plains *(subspecies of corn)*	Grassland Forest Semi-arid			2-4	20-30 gallon high	75-85F	B	Food: Rodents Lifespan: 15-20 years Social: Can be kept in pairs or more
SUNBEAM xenopeltidae	Common Name	Habitat	Ground, Arboreal Aquatic	Personality	Size feet	Tank	TEMP Day Night	Level of Care	Other Information
		Rice paddies	Ground Burrow	Do not like to be handled	2-4	20 gallon tank; 80-80% Humidity	86-88	B/ Inter	Food: Rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs Social: Solitary Will eat other snakes Like to dig underground – need burrowing material in tank Iridescent color Protection:* Emits musky odor from anal glands