Green Cat Snake — Care Sheet & Morphs

Husbandry requirements

Green Cat Snake — origin: Southeast and South Asia: north-eastern India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Malay Peninsula. Humid forests and forest edges, from the lowlands up to mid-mountain elevations..

Terrarium temperature gradient

Night min21 °C

Cool side23–26 °C

Warm side27–30 °C

A nocturnal forest species: NO intense hot spot. Provide a gentle thermal gradient, preferably vertical (warmer at the top). Heat with a remote cable/panel or with the room's ambient temperature rather than a powerful spotlight. A slight nighttime drop is beneficial.

Enclosure (adult)

120 × 60 × 120 cm

A tall, arboreal-style vertical terrarium, densely planted, with a network of sturdy horizontal and diagonal branches. A perfectly locked lid (an excellent escape artist). Bigger is always better.

Favour height and clutter (plants, vines, elevated hides) over floor space. Provide several shaded areas and dense foliage so the animal feels secure, which reduces stress and aggression.

Humidity

60–80 %

Moderate to high tropical humidity. Daily misting (especially in the evening) and good ventilation to avoid stagnation and respiratory infections. Allow partial drying between mistings.

Substrate

Coconut fibreCoco + potting soil + bark mixSphagnum mossPlanted bioactive substrate

A moisture-retaining substrate, but most of life takes place up high: focus above all on the branches, foliage and arboreal hides.

UVB

Optional

Not essential as a nocturnal species, but low UVB (a 5% tube / Ferguson zone 1, well filtered and with shaded areas) is beneficial for the metabolism in the long term. In all cases provide calcium/D3 supplementation suited to the prey.

Water source

Always available

A large bowl of clean water, renewed regularly. The animal drinks mainly the droplets on branches and foliage: misting is essential to its hydration.

Origin

Colubridae

Southeast and South Asia: north-eastern India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern China, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Malay Peninsula. Humid forests and forest edges, from the lowlands up to mid-mountain elevations.

Feeding & health

Diet

Carnivore — Lizards, birds and nestlings, small rodents, amphibians (frogs) and occasionally eggs

A naturally varied diet dominated by lizards and birds. Neonates and wild-caught animals are often lizard or frog specialists and may refuse rodents; switching to rodents frequently requires "scenting" the prey (with lizard/chick). Feed every 7 to 14 days depending on age and body condition; avoid overfeeding.

Breeding

Oviparous

Clutch 7–15 eggs/young. Breeding is stimulated by a mild dry-season/wet-season cycle and a small drop in temperature. Incubation of about 60 to 90 days at around 27-28 °C and high humidity. Neonates show a spectacular ontogenetic colour change: brick-red / orange / brown with a green head at hatching, gradually turning fully green over the first year.

Health watch points

Internal parasites (nematodes, protozoa) very common in wild-caught animals — faecal examination and veterinary deworming recommended
Dehydration and difficult sheds (dysecdysis) linked to insufficient humidity
Respiratory infections (excess stagnant humidity, poor ventilation, temperatures too low)
Stomatitis / mouth infections
Food refusal and chronic stress, especially during acclimation of wild individuals

Morphs & genetics

Registry of 2 documented genes for Green Cat Snake.

Axanthic (Hypothetical) super blueRec
Nigriceps (Black Head)Dom

Pairing calculator

Pick each parent's genotype — clutch probabilities update live. Free, no sign-up.

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Green Cat Snake × Green Cat Snake

Probabilities per gene (independent loci).

Expected clutchSelect at least one gene on a parent.

Frequently asked questions

Answers to the most common questions about keeping the green cat snake.

Is the green cat snake venomous?▾

Yes, it is a venomous rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous) snake. The venom is weak for humans, but a prolonged bite can cause local swelling, pain and occasionally individual reactions. Direct handling should be kept to a minimum and done with a hook.

Is it suitable for beginners?▾

No, its difficulty level is advanced. Nervous, quick and defensive, it rears the front of its body, inflates its neck and strikes readily when disturbed. Between its venom, its wary temperament and the fact that many specimens are fragile wild-caught animals, it is not recommended for beginners or households with children.

Why are hatchlings red while adults are green?▾

This is the species' spectacular ontogenetic colour change: at hatching, neonates are brick-red, orange or brown with a contrasting green head, then they gradually turn fully green over the course of their first year of life.

What terrarium should be provided for this species?▾

A tall, arboreal-style vertical terrarium of at least 120 x 60 x 120 cm, densely planted, with a network of sturdy horizontal and diagonal branches. Strictly arboreal, it needs height and clutter prioritised over floor space, and the lid must be perfectly locked, as it is an excellent escape artist.

How can its stress and aggression be reduced?▾

By providing several shaded areas and dense foliage up high, where it can hide and feel secure. A well-cluttered setup (plants, vines, elevated hides) markedly reduces the stress and aggression of this wary species.

What temperatures should be maintained day and night?▾

A warm side at 27-30 °C and a cool side at 23-26 °C, with a nighttime minimum around 21 °C. This nocturnal forest species does not need an intense hot spot: favour a gentle gradient, ideally vertical (warmer at the top), provided by a cable, remote panel or the room's ambient temperature.

What humidity level does it need?▾

Tropical humidity of 60 to 80%. Mist daily, especially in the evening, while ensuring good ventilation to avoid stagnant air and respiratory infections. Let the terrarium dry out partially between mistings.

How does this snake stay hydrated?▾

It drinks mainly the droplets deposited on branches and foliage rather than from a bowl: misting is therefore essential to its hydration. Nonetheless, provide a large bowl of clean water renewed regularly.

What does it eat, and why is feeding tricky?▾

A carnivore with a naturally varied diet, it eats lizards, birds and nestlings, small rodents, frogs and occasionally eggs. The challenge comes from neonates and wild-caught animals, often lizard or frog specialists, which initially refuse rodents: switching to rodents frequently requires "scenting" the prey (with lizard or chick scent).

Does it need UVB and supplements?▾

UVB is not essential for this nocturnal species, but low UVB (a 5% tube, Ferguson zone 1, well filtered and with shaded areas) is beneficial to its metabolism over the long term. In all cases, provide calcium/D3 supplementation suited to the prey.

What health problems are most common?▾

In wild-caught animals, internal parasites (nematodes, protozoa) are very common and warrant a faecal exam with deworming. Also watch for dehydration and difficult sheds linked to insufficient humidity, respiratory infections, stomatitis, as well as food refusal and chronic stress during acclimation.

What size and lifespan does it reach?▾

It measures 140 to 190 cm in total length, with females generally larger and more robust than males, and a few individuals exceeding 2 m. It lives 12 to 15 years, sometimes up to around 18 years with optimal care, though parasitized wild-caught animals often live shorter lives.

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