Introduction.
As a herpetologist ( keeper and breeder of reptiles ) I am often asked which
snake is the easiest to keep and breed in captivity. In my opinion it is the House Snakes from Africa. House Snakes grow up to four feet. The larger animals recorded have all been females but in my collection they only attain about three feet in length. Most male House Snakes do not exceed twenty inches. House Snakes come in a variety of color forms yellow, tan, olive, brown and black. They do not normally bite.
Housing.
I house my House Snakes in pairs or one male to two females in a cage 22 x 15 x15 inches. This may seem like a small cage for two or three animals. However, I find at if they are given a larger cage the animals spend most of their time hiding in their hide boxes. The floor of my cages are covered with newspaper. I use paper because it is cheap and hygienic. The furnishings consist of some plastic boxes, for the snakes to hide in, an egg laying box and a water bowl. The cages are lit by fluorescent lights.The cage is maintained at 27oC by day dropping to about 23oC at night. The snakes are fed on defrosted mice. Each animal is given one or two defrosted mice per week. I would like to confirm that snakes do not require live food. The use of live mice, as snake food, can result in criminal prosecution.
Breeding
If a male and a female House Snake are housed together sooner or later nature will take its course and you will find yourself with a clutch of up to 12 eggs. To breed most snakes they must first be cooled or hibernated for at least six weeks for the male to produce sperm and the female egg follicles. This is not the case with the House Snake as they can bred at any time of the years and do not require any cooling period. However better results are obtained if the animals are cooled to about 20oC for four to six weeks prior to mating. When the male decides that he wants to mate he glides up to a female and rubs his chin along her back and places his tail next to that
of the female. If the female wants to breed she raises her tail and allows the male to enter her. If the female is not receptive she quickly glides away leaving the male behind. Mating can last from a few minutes to over an hour. About 70 days after mating the female lays from 2 to 12 eggs. I remove all the eggs and place them in an incubator. House Snake eggs take about 70 days to hatch at 27oC.
Hatchlings.
Hatchling House Snakes are about six inches long. They do not feed until they slough their skin, which happens about ten days after hatching. After the slough the young begin feeding on defrosted baby mice. As the mice are fatter than the baby snakes it is necessary for the snakes to dislocate their lower jaw during feeding. This does not damage to the snake as it yawns after feeding to relocate its jaw. Reptiles are cold blooded and therefore require very little food. I feed my animals once a week giving each animal one or two mice. With correct feed it is possible for a female House Snake to attain breeding size of 30 inches within eight months.
Conclusion.
The House Snake is a small snake which can be kept as a single pet or one of a pair or small group. They feed on defrosted mice which can be obtained from any pet shop which supply snakes. They are ideal first snakes for less experienced keepers as they are easy to look after and do not cost very much.