Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im planning on getting 1.1 mangrove snakes at the next expo in July. I want to cage them together and Im wondering how large of a cage is good. I would like to use the Vision 28x24x24, but Im not sure that is large enough for two adult snakes. There is one that is 48x28x28 but I dont like the price on it. Is the first sufficient?

Is a substrate of bark and moss good?

How moist do they need to be? I heard they require high humidity but I dont know how high they need it. 50%, 75%, or what?

Last time they didnt have a pair. I hope they do this time. I would really love to breed these beautiful animals.

How large is the pair? Juv or adult? A baby will fit in a ten gallon aquaria comfortably, a seven foot adult obviously needs much more room.

I would not recommend keeping them together, especially if you plan to breed. besides the health issue (all your eggs in one basket. it also presents problems in feeding (competition for food)one tends to become dominant, and if they both decide on the same mouse...Did I mention that they eat other snakes?

I find that moss is a very good substrate for babies but I prefer cypress mulch for my older ones. A good daily misting keeps them fine.

Day time temps of 75-80F works fine for my snakes. Mine normally hide during the day and are at their most active in the early evening (just after sundown).

Frank
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

They are 3 to 4 long, not juvys. I read somewhere on the internet someone keeping them together for breeding purposes, but feeding them separatly of coarse. Do they need to have a cool down period? They are tropical right, so I wouldnt expect them to. Wouldnt they be able to breed year round if enclosed togther? I heard not to house two males together, but that 1.1 would be ok.

I have not bred them so (hopefully) someone who did can help here. I would go for the larger cage. Less contact might help in canibalism issues. besides they will grow out of even a cage that size.

Frank
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

This is where I found my info:
http://www.snakemuseum.com/mangrove.htm

He uses a taller cage than vision offers, so maybe I should get a different kind of cage due to their arboreal nature.

If the two are about the same size, would they still eat each other? They cant swallow 100% of their body weight can they? He only recommends separating siblings, but did state that he stopped one from swallowing another once.

Working with snakes taught me one thing...There is no such thing as an absolute. I have seen a 7" king eat a nine inch ratsnake. Can't give you a solid answer to your question because just when you say something is not possible....It happens. With a snake known to eat other snakes-why take the chance?

Frank
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Here's what happened when a friend tossed in his spitting cobra (Naja sumatrana) together with a mangrove.

It so happened that there weren't enough cages to go around and this guy happens to skin snakes for a living. 2 days later, there was only one mangrove snake left with a suspicious looking lump in its belly.

The moral of the story is not to place snakes together with other snakes of known cannibalistic nature.

I have not found it neccessary for there to be a cool down period. Since I have not yet bred this species (though I have kept single specimens for many years) I cannot answer that part accuratly.

Frank
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

I have been working with different Boiga-species, B.d.dendrophila, B.d.gemmicincta, B.cyanea and B.cynodon. I have been kept specimens allways alone, except breeding season. In my collection I have a different rooms, where is a different climate(mountain, sub-tropical etc.) and warm, humid room is for the Boiga-species.
That subspecies had a mild winter season, as allmost every species, +16 to 20 and decreased humidity which last about 2 months. During summer temperature is about +25 to over 30 during the day and about +22-24 at night, and humidity is of course increased. Daily misting is necessary but it depends, of course, what kind of terrarium you used, I have been used practical, large plastic boxes as with other tropical, nocturnal-species where substrate is just only paper. They have been feeding mice, rats and chickens without problems. That system has been working very well, I'm waiting first clutch for this year of B.d.gemmicincta, example B.cyanea -species laid their clutches allready.

-Timo Paasikunnas/Finland

np
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

When is the breeding season for them? Great Valley Serpentarium says they lay 3 clutches of eggs each year, so are there different times of the year that they breed? Can they breed anytime, so long as the female has had enough food?

As I said earlier, I have kept a little bit cooler months, how cold or dry, it's depending on species or even locality within-species. In genus Boiga, there is a many productive species and B.dendrophila is one of those. Two to three clutches in breeding period is possible, if female is healthy and in good condition.
But my opinion is that they have a clear breeding season, especially if you have a mild winter season in your terrariums. In Finland, here is very cold winter season in nature, it's just normally that temperature and climate change in our terrarium-rooms, which has a positive effect for animals healthy and of course, for breeding attempts.
Females need a time for the rest, they don't need to breed or eat all the time and mild winter season is good for that.

-Timo Paasikunnas/Finland