Taiwan Beauty

No pics just yet folks but I picked up a cracker of a male yesterday evening. He is approx 5 years of age and is maybe 6-7 foot. Feel in love with these guys when I first held one up in Milca's in Cavan some weeks back. There colours are amazing. He is a cranky s**** in the viv with a bit of head banging on the glass but is puppy tame once you have him out.

Anyone have any experience or good web links to these guys I can read up on? Cant seem to find a lot online

Cheers

Hey hun,

Couple of links on this page: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Also...

The Taiwan Beauty, Elaphe taeniura friesei (Werner 192 is the largest of the six recognized subspecies with the possibility of a seven subspecies (Schulz, in preparation) which appears to have originated from North Vietnam and has a red tongue instead of the bluish tongue as do the other forms. This group of Elaphe taeniura was frequently imported from Bangkok and Hong Kong and very little has been written about the maintaining and breeding of these snakes in captivity. From what I could find, an Austrian herpetologist, Dr. R. Fesser, was the first person to import two pairs of this species from Taiwan and was able to breed them allowing healthy captive specimens to enter into the collection of other snake fanciers in Europe.

These are beautiful snakes with a ground color of yellowish-brown to olive. The top of the head and the neck region are unicolor. The markings on the back usually consist of two pairs of black rounded spots which join together. On each side of the body there are more black spots. about the last third of the body the markings change to two dark brown to black stripes and one yellow stripe. The lateral stripes are interrupted by lighter transverse stripes, four scales wide. From each eye a dark stripe extends to the corner of the mouth. The upper labials are yellowish-white. The ventral surface is cream colored with significant black checkerboard markings which is characteristic in differentiating from the other subspecies. In addition, this subspecies has a much wider head and a longer tail.

The Taiwan Beauty reaches a length of over 250 cm (8'-9') plus being the largest of its type and is also considered largest of the rat snakes. It has a ventral scale count of 240 to 258 scales.

This subspecies is only known from the island of Taiwan (Formosa). It is found in various habitats and even on cultivated land. They can be frequently found in bushes and trees. This snake is swift and agile in its movements making them difficult to capture in its natural habitat. They are mainly diurnal hunting for their favorite food of rats and birds being a very useful snake in its area. Unfortunately, these snakes are also found on the menus in Taiwanese restaurants. It's skin is popular for the manufacture of handbags and shoes. It's flesh is also considered to contain medicinal properties. Like several other snakes in history, some of the subspecies of Elaphe taeniura have had their geographical range increased by people taking these snakes with them when they move for rodent control.

These snakes should be housed in an appropriate size terrarium allowing plenty of room for climbing. I use a coarse fir/pine wood shaving in my display. I place a large water bowl which helps increase the humidity along with daily misting. For a hiding area, I use grapewood (Calif. Drift Wood) which offers beautiful hide areas but also allows for partial viewing of the snakes. They are a peaceful snake and are not very shy as opposed to the nominate form. The preferential temperatures are between 22-26*C during the day and a 18*C night temperature is sufficient. It is recommended that the temperature should never exceed 30*C. The snakes will react with great discomfort at this temperature.

Taiwan Beauties have been commonly bred in collections today. Many keepers hibernate at around 18-20* C from December until March. A 10-15*C might be better for lower demands on the metabolism. Mating usually results about a month after the hibernation period. Eggs are usually laid in May or June or even later depending on your cycle. The eggs are large, 50 x 30 mm on the average. Incubation at 27*C to 32*C in vermiculite at a relative humidity of 95% results in a very good hatch rate after 57-60 days (Juschke, written report). At 25 to 27*C in quartz sand and a humidity of 95-100%, with a temperature increase to 30*C shortly before hatchling, a hatch rate of 100% resulted after 65 days (Nagele, written report). The hatchlings are similar to the adults and measure about 30-45 cm. They shed in about 14 days and feed immediately on pinkie mice. They grow quickly if well fed and attain a length of 130 cm after 14 months. These snakes are capable of reproduction at around 18 months when the animals have reached a length of 140-150 cm (4.5' to 5').

AND

Orthriophis taeniurus freisi, the Taiwanese Beauty snake is a large and very powerful constrictor. This snake is one of the largest rat snakes in the world and is native to the island of Taiwan.

Longevity: 20 years +
Adult size: Male: 180 cms (6 feet) +, Female: 240 cms (8 feet) +

Housing: adults do best in a well ventilated vivarium measuring around 180cm (72 inches) in length, 90cm (36 inches) deep and 90cm (36 inches) high. These animals are very active and will use all the room you can afford them. Hatchlings and younger snakes may be kept in a smaller vivarium.

Substrate: Kitchen paper towel, reptile carpet and even newspaper can all make suitable substrates along with a host of purpose made substrates currently available. Always check when buying substrate that it is suitable for use with snakes. When using any substrate, care should be taken to ensure there is no risk of substrate being ingested as this can lead to gut impaction. Remove all droppings and clean the vivarium on a regular basis to prevent disease.

Vivarium furnishings: Hides & shelters are essential. They prevent stress and allow your pet a safe haven from the outside world. There should be at least 2, one at the warm and one at the cool end of the vivarium. These snakes are semi arboreal and as long as they are fixed securely, sterilised logs, rocks and fake plants increase the surface area and make interesting climbing and resting places.

Heating: A temperature gradient from the warm end at 29°C (84°F) to cool areas at 24°C (75°F) is suitable. Night time temperatures should be around 24°C (75°F). A basking spot of 30°C (86°F) is often taken advantage of when the animal is approaching it shedding cycle. The heat source can be a ceramic heater or heat mat. Wire mesh guards should be fitted over any ceramic heat sources used in order to prevent thermal burns. A thermostat is essential, to control the heat source within the vivarium and prevent your pet from becoming too hot or too cold.

Lighting: No additional lighting is required for this snake if the snake is housed in a room with natural lighting. Do not place the vivarium in direct sun light.

Water: Clean water must always be provided for the snake to drink from and bathe in. No specific humidity requirements but an occasional spray will be appreciated.

Diet and Feeding: Adults will take mice, rats, and chicks once a week. Younger snakes will eat appropriately sized mice or baby rats. A food item should be no bigger than 1.5 times the width of the widest part of the snake’s body and after a meal a small bulge should be noticeable in the stomach of the snake. This species generally has a very aggressive feeding response and feeding tongs are an essential part of the keepers toolkit.

Temperament: Despite their size, these snakes are often shy and nervous especially if disturbed. They can show aggression which is often accompanied by a gaping of the mouth which can turn into a strike.

Hope this helps, anything else - you know where we are

M

Excellent read and very useful Milca, thanks for this.

You're most welcome as always