Snakes on Herpeton Academy

Python brongersmai

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Python brongersmai is the accepted scientific name for the blood python covered here. Use this Latin name when comparing labels, origin documents, and close relatives, because trade names can overlap.

English common names used in the hobby:

Blood python

German common names used in the hobby:

Blutpython

📌 Description

Python brongersmai is a non-venomous constricting snake with care needs shaped by its natural habitat: humid lowland forest, swamp margins, palm plantations, and covered ground near water. Adults are usually around 120-180 cm total length with a very heavy body, and a realistic captive lifespan is 20-25+ years when housing, diet, and veterinary care are handled well.

Python curtus

Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Python curtus is the accepted scientific name for the Sumatran short-tailed python covered here. Use this Latin name when comparing labels, origin documents, and close relatives, because trade names can overlap.

English common names used in the hobby:

Sumatran short-tailed python

German common names used in the hobby:

Sumatra-Kurzschwanzpython

📌 Description

Python curtus is a non-venomous constricting snake with care needs shaped by its natural habitat: humid lowland forest, swampy ground, plantations, and covered terrestrial shelters. Adults are usually around 120-180 cm total length with a stocky body, and a realistic captive lifespan is 20-25+ years when housing, diet, and veterinary care are handled well.

Acrantophis dumerili

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Acrantophis dumerili is the accepted scientific name for Dumeril’s boa. In trade, keep it separate from other Madagascan boas and prefer animals with clear origin documents.

English common names used in the hobby:

Dumeril’s boa

📌 Description

Acrantophis dumerili is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 150-240 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 20-30 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Boaedon fuliginosus

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Boaedon fuliginosus is used here for the brown African house snake, but the house-snake group has been revised repeatedly. Many animals in the hobby are sold as African house snakes without precise species or locality confirmation.

English common names used in the hobby:

Brown African house snake
African house snake

Older names and trade labels to know:

Corallus hortulana

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Corallus hortulana is the accepted name for the Amazon tree boa. Older sources may use Corallus hortulanus, and trade labels can blur different Amazon tree boa localities.

English common names used in the hobby:

Amazon tree boa

📌 Description

Corallus hortulana is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 120-180 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 15-20+ years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Elaphe climacophora

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Elaphe climacophora is the currently used scientific name for the Japanese rat snake. In trade, white Iwakuni animals should be treated as a distinct protected locality form rather than ordinary locality stock.

English common names used in the hobby:

Japanese rat snake
Aodai-sho

Older names and trade labels to know:

Japanese ratsnake
Iwakuni white snake

📌 Description

Elaphe climacophora is a non-venomous snake kept for observation, breeding projects, or experienced naturalistic display. Adults usually reach 100-160 cm, occasionally larger females, and a realistic captive lifespan is 15-20+ years. Good care is built around secure housing, measured heat, appropriate humidity, correct prey size, and a layout that lets the animal hide and thermoregulate without constant exposure. Handling should be calm and brief. Large or defensive animals require a safety plan, and powerful adults should never be managed casually or by children.

Elaphe schrenckii

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Elaphe schrenckii is the accepted name for Schrenck’s or Amur rat snake. Trade listings may also use Russian rat snake, so Latin-name confirmation is useful.

English common names used in the hobby:

Russian rat snake

📌 Description

Elaphe schrenckii is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 140-200 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 15-25 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Epicrates cenchria

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Epicrates cenchria is the Brazilian rainbow boa. Rainbow boa taxonomy and trade names have shifted, so this page should not be read as covering every snake sold as a rainbow boa.

English common names used in the hobby:

Brazilian rainbow boa

📌 Description

Epicrates cenchria is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 150-210 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 20-30 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Eryx colubrinus

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Eryx colubrinus is the accepted name followed here for the Kenyan sand boa. Older hobby material may list the species as Gongylophis colubrinus.

English common names used in the hobby:

Kenyan sand boa

📌 Description

Eryx colubrinus is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 45-90 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 15-25 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Eunectes murinus

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Eunectes murinus is the green anaconda. Keep records carefully because anacondas are large boids, legally sensitive, and sometimes confused in trade with other Eunectes species.

English common names used in the hobby:

Green anaconda
Common anaconda

Older names and trade labels to know:

Boa murina

📌 Description

Eunectes murinus is a very large, specialist snake kept for observation, breeding projects, or experienced naturalistic display. Adults usually reach males 250-350 cm; females commonly 400-600+ cm, and a realistic captive lifespan is 20-30+ years. Good care is built around secure housing, measured heat, appropriate humidity, correct prey size, and a layout that lets the animal hide and thermoregulate without constant exposure. Handling should be calm and brief. Large or defensive animals require a safety plan, and powerful adults should never be managed casually or by children.

Malayopython reticulatus

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Malayopython reticulatus is the accepted combination for the reticulated python; older sources often use Python reticulatus. Dwarf and super-dwarf locality labels are husbandry-critical, not decoration.

English common names used in the hobby:

Reticulated python

📌 Description

Malayopython reticulatus is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 300-600+ cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 20-30 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Morelia bredli

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Morelia bredli is commonly sold as Bredl’s python or Centralian carpet python. Older references may treat it as Morelia spilota bredli, but this article follows species-level Morelia bredli.

English common names used in the hobby:

Bredl’s python

📌 Description

Morelia bredli is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 180-260 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 20-30 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Morelia spilota

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Morelia spilota is a variable carpet python complex. Subspecies and locality labels such as coastal, jungle, Darwin, Irian Jaya, and related carpet python forms should be kept identified and not mixed casually.

English common names used in the hobby:

Carpet python

📌 Description

Morelia spilota is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 180-300 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 20-30 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Morelia viridis

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Morelia viridis is the accepted name for the green tree python. Older hobby material may use Chondropython viridis, and locality names should be treated as provenance information.

English common names used in the hobby:

Green tree python

📌 Description

Morelia viridis is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 120-180 cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 15-25+ years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Orthriophis taeniurus

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

The beauty rat snake complex is still encountered under Orthriophis taeniurus in the hobby, while some databases place the accepted name as Elaphe taeniura. This article keeps the familiar hobby name in the title and flags the synonymy for record keeping.

English common names used in the hobby:

Beauty rat snake
Taiwan beauty snake

Older names and trade labels to know:

Python bivittatus

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Python bivittatus is treated here as the Burmese python. Older material may place it under Python molurus bivittatus or the broader Indian python complex.

English common names used in the hobby:

Burmese python

📌 Description

Python bivittatus is a non-venomous snake kept for observation and careful handling. Adults usually reach 300-500+ cm, with a realistic captive lifespan of 20-30 years. Correct heat, secure hides, escape-proof construction, and suitable prey size matter more than decorative complexity.

Corn Snake

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Pantherophis guttatus is the currently accepted scientific name. In older literature and in parts of the hobby, the species was often listed under older Elaphe-based combinations.

English common names used in the hobby:

Corn snake
Red rat snake

German common names used in the hobby:

Kornnatter
Rote Rattenschlange

📌 Description

The corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) is one of the most common pet snakes in the world. It is popular because it is usually manageable in size, typically calm when regularly acclimated to captivity, and available in many selectively bred color and pattern lines.

Milk Snake

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Lampropeltis triangulum is the currently accepted scientific name for the milk snake. Older hobby material may treat some regional forms differently because milk snakes and kingsnakes have a complex taxonomic history.

English common names used in the hobby:

Milk snake

German common names used in the hobby:

Milchschlange

📌 Description

Lampropeltis triangulum is a slender New World colubrid known for bold banding or blotching, active behavior, and generally manageable adult size. Depending on the form, adults commonly range from under 1 meter to around 1.5 meters.

Western Hognose Snake

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Heterodon nasicus is the currently accepted scientific name.

English common names used in the hobby:

Western hognose snake
Plains hognose snake

German common names used in the hobby:

Westliche Hakennasennatter
Hakennasennatter

📌 Description

The western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus) is a small, stout-bodied North American colubrid that has become very popular in captivity. It is best known for its upturned snout, bluffing behavior, and relatively manageable size.

Boa Constrictor

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

📌 Description

The boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) is a large, heavy-bodied, non-venomous snake from South America. It is famous for its muscular build, saddle pattern, heat-sensing ability, and calm but powerful presence.

Adults vary by sex, locality, and bloodline. Many males stay smaller and slimmer, while large females can become impressive animals that require substantial housing and careful handling. In captivity, boas commonly live 20-30 years or more.

Boa Imperator

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

📌 Description

The boa imperator (Boa imperator) is a large, muscular, non-venomous constrictor from Central America and nearby regions. It is one of the most common large snakes in captivity and is often sold under hobby names such as common boa or Colombian boa, even though those labels are not always taxonomically precise.

Adults vary by sex and locality. Many males remain more moderate in size, while large females can become substantial snakes that require serious space and handling awareness. Boa imperators are usually somewhat smaller and lighter than the largest Boa constrictor animals, but they are still powerful, long-lived snakes.

Ball Python

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🔤 Taxonomy

Python regius is the currently accepted scientific name. In the hobby and in trade, the species is usually sold under the same name or under its common-name equivalents.

English common names used in the hobby:

Ball python
Royal python

German common names used in the hobby:

Königspython
Ballpython

📌 Description

The ball python (Python regius), also known as the royal python, is one of the most popular pet snakes in the world. The name “ball python” comes from its characteristic defensive behavior — when stressed, it curls into a tight ball and tucks its head into the center. The species is well known for its docile temperament and exceptional longevity in captivity.