Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm picking up a pair of young adult Mangroves on Tuesday. They have been "treated" internally and have been in captivity for about 8 weeks. I'm no stranger to acclimating wc snakes, I've successfully acclimated many Goynosomas and Emerald Tree Boas.

My question is how hardy are Mangroves? I will treat them again as needed after fecals are done. I have wc Tiger Rats that are basically "bullet-proof" and the Red Tailed Green Rats need constant vigilance for the first year before a success can be somewhat assured. Just trying to gauge how much oversight they're going to need. They have fabulous body weight, no nose rubs, and are feeding well.

Thanks in advance,

Bill
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The Menagerie:
3.8 Emerald Tree Boas
2.4 Spilotes Pullatus
1.3 Chondros
2.4 Red Tailed Green Rats - Maylasian Origin
2.2 Scrub Pythons (Kofiau, Bar Neck)
1.1 "Sunburst" Indian Sand Boas (Adults retain juvie coloration)
Veileds, Jacksons, and Panther Chams
1.1 American Bulldogs

Most people seem to have trouble acclimating them, as they tend to be very shy snakes. That is, when they are not trying to bite you. haha. When I got mine, it took him about 2 months before I could get him to accept food for the first time. I keep him fed on day old baby chicks from the feed supply store around here. I was going to try and convert him over to mice or rats, but the chicks are half the price and a bigger meal.

Mine also went through his insane stage, which I think had to do with the fact he wasn't acclimated yet. He was very aggressive, even striking at me when I was 10 feet away from his enclosure. Now though, he's pretty calm although will retreat back to his hide if I come too close to his cage. But anyway, to answer your question mine has been pretty hardy. I don't know if he is an exception, as I've heard a lot of people have problems getting them to eat. But basically, just give them a nice large enclosure with lots of foliage and branches and dark spots to hide in since they are nocturnal. Give them a week or two and offer some food and see what happens. Also, buy a humidity gauge and thermometer. Keep the humidity between 80-90% and try to keep the temp around 80 degrees and they will do fine.

Oh, and don't house them together. They will eat each other.

Thanks for the response. Funny, they guy I'm getting them from has 6 of them in cages of 2 per cage! Sounds like I'll be keeping them just like my Emeralds so no major adjustments needed!

Bill
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The Menagerie:
3.8 Emerald Tree Boas
2.4 Spilotes Pullatus
1.3 Chondros
2.4 Red Tailed Green Rats - Maylasian Origin
2.2 Scrub Pythons (Kofiau, Bar Neck)
1.1 "Sunburst" Indian Sand Boas (Adults retain juvie coloration)
Veileds, Jacksons, and Panther Chams
1.1 American Bulldogs

Yes, some people do keep them together. However, mangroves are well known to feed on other snakes in the wild, and will do so in captivity. You may have them housed togehter for a week, month or year without incident when all of a sudden one of them will decide the other looks like a good meal. With the cost and time associated with caring for them, I think that it's just not worth the risk. One idea you might want to try, is have a cage made that is big enough to house both, but with a removable center divider to keep them seperate. That way, if and when you wish to breed them, you can just remove the divider temporarily. Since they are arboreal, you will want something they can climb in. I couldn't find any pre-made enclosures that would suit a large arboreal snake so I had one custom made. Check out monster cages. That's where I got mine. Just tell them the custom dimensions of how you want it and they will construct and ship it to you. Their prices are very reasonable as well. It took them about 3 weeks for it to arrive at my door after I placed my order. All depends how busy they are though. Hope that helps.

Hey Bill,
I have a fair amount of experience with Boiga dendrophila dendrophila, and I have been working on a husbandry article. If you'd like, e-mail me, and I'll send it your way.
Good luck with them. They are beautiful snakes.
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Roy Blodgett
Green Man Herpetoculture
royreptile@yahoo.com

1.1 Drymarchon corais
1.1 Pseustes sulphureus
1.1 Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus
0.0.1 Coluber mormon
1.1 Lampropeltis getula californiae (desert phase)
1.0 Boiga dendrophila dendrophila
2.3 Pogona vitticeps (snow and red/gold)
1.0 Iguana iguana

“All men lie enveloped in whale-lines. All are born with halters round their necks; but it is only when caught in the swift, sudden turn of death, that mortals realize the silent, subtle, ever-present perils of life.”- Herman Melville