Orthriophis taeniurus

A spacious, semi-arboreal terrarium, taller than average for terrestrial colubrids. Provide sturdy branches, platforms and climbing points, several hides (warm side and cool side) and a securely locked lid (a powerful species and a notorious escape artist).

Minimum dimensions for a medium-sized adult; plan for larger (180 cm long or more) for a big friesi. Good ventilation is essential to avoid stagnant air.

Moderate to high humidity. Mist or dampen one area without ever soaking the whole enclosure; increase it occasionally during sheds. Some cave-dwelling subspecies (ridleyi) appreciate higher humidity and a very moist hide.

Choose a substrate that holds a little moisture without moulding and allows burrowing. Aspen breaks down quickly in humid conditions; prefer coco or cypress if humidity is high. Remove droppings promptly to prevent scale rot.

Not essential for this colubrid, but low UVB (5-6% index, dimmed T5 type) is beneficial for an active, diurnal snake; always pair it with a shaded area. Provide a regular day/night cycle.

A large bowl of clean water available at all times for drinking and bathing, particularly appreciated before shedding. Renew regularly and clean to limit bacteria.

South and Southeast Asia: China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, northern India, Malaysia and Indonesia. A species complex with many subspecies inhabiting forests, karst areas and caves; O. t. friesi (Taiwan) is one of the largest colubrids.

Carnivore (strictly) — Appropriately sized rodents (mice, rats); occasionally chicks/birds. Some wild populations eat bats.

Fast metabolism and voracious appetite. Feed thawed prey; juveniles every 5-7 days, adults every 10-14 days. Beware the very keen feeding response when opening the terrarium (bite risk): use feeding tongs. Avoid overfeeding, a common cause of obesity.

Clutch 6–20 eggs/young. Breeding is usually triggered by a winter cooling/brumation period of several weeks. Incubation of about 55 to 70 days at 26-28 °C. Large clutches are possible in big specimens. Non-venomous and not CITES-listed; strongly favour captive-bred animals, as wild-caught specimens are frequently stressed and heavily parasitised.

• Respiratory infections (temperature too low, stagnant air or excessive, poorly ventilated humidity)
• Poor shedding / dysecdysis (insufficient humidity)
• Scale rot / dermatitis (substrate too damp or soiled)
• Mites (Ophionyssus natricis)
• Internal parasites, especially in wild-caught specimens
• Obesity and regurgitation linked to overfeeding