Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Bought our first Beauty Snake yesterday, and having a hard time with all the different types. I was told he is a Chinese Beauty.
Searching the net I've seen Vietnamese Beauty Snakes, Taiwan Beauty Snakes, Chinese Beauty Snakes, Yunnan Beauty
Snakes, and from what I can tell, it seems there all Blue Beauty Snakes. From all the pictures I have found, They all look
almost identical. The best I can figure is that they are all very closely related, they just come from different regions of Asia. If
I'm wrong please correct me. Also, Are they all close enough related that they can all breed with each other? Any info would
be appreciated. Thanks, Billy

They are all subspecies of beauty snakes or elaphe taeniura. They are not all blue beauty snakes. Blue beauties are just another one of the subspecies.
The chinese beauty snake that you got is the subspecies elaphe taeniura taeniura. Nice looking snake by the way.
As you said the different types come from different parts of Asia. The more you see different ones you will learn to tell them apart.
I am sure some subspecies could breed with others but they are all so awesome on their own I would never do it and would not recommend others do so. If you are interested in breeding yours and want to make it a little more interesting there are albino chinese beauties available. Hope this helped.
Later, Randy Whittington

Just out of curiosity did you get your beauty snake at the Oklahoma show?

Thanks for the replies. I hope to see some of the different types of beauty snakes and learn the differences. Yes we did get him
at the Oklahoma show. We enjoyed the show, but was disappointed in the size. I plan on attending the future shows there, but
hope it grows in popularity and attracts more vendors.

I was at the Ok show too(I left with a Cali King and a marbled gecko I won.) I was seriously thinking about buying that Chinese Beauty. I have a Taiwan on hold for me by the Reptile Dept. curator at the Tulsa Zoo (from her own collection ofcorse) but I thought maybe this one instead. Hehe, I guess you made up my mind for me, I like the Tiawans better anyways. =^-^=