Elaphe schrenckii — Fact Sheet

Elaphe schrenckii · Elaphe schrenckii · Russian rat snake

📋 At a glance

🏠 Enclosure

• Secure escape-proof vivarium with more length than height for most species
• Adult minimum depends strongly on species; provide enough room to stretch, explore, and thermoregulate
• Substrate: species-appropriate bedding that allows hygiene and humidity control
• Avoid loose lids, heat rocks, bare stressful boxes, and wet dirty substrate

🪨 Enclosure furniture

• Tight warm hide, tight cool hide, water bowl, branches or cover as appropriate
• Rough but safe surfaces for shedding
• Visual barriers so the snake can move without constant exposure

💡 Lighting

• UVB is beneficial for many snakes and strongly useful in naturalistic setups
• Use a clear day-night cycle with overhead heat where possible
• Replace UVB lamps on schedule if used
• Photoperiod: 10-12 h; no bright night light

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 29-31 °C

• Warm zone: 25-28 °C

• Cool zone: 20-23 °C

• Night: 18-21 °C

• Clear gradient required; the animal must be able to move between warm, cool, and hidden zones

• Measure basking surfaces with an infrared thermometer and ambient zones with digital probes

• Avoid heat rocks and unguarded heat sources

💧 Humidity & water

• Maintain species-appropriate humidity and a clean water bowl
• Provide a humid hide or temporary humidity boost during shed if needed
• Allow ventilation so damp setups do not become stale
• Avoid chronic wet bedding

🐁 Diet

Feed regularly:

• Appropriately sized frozen-thawed rodents

In moderation:

• Occasional size/schedule adjustments for growth, breeding, or body condition

Avoid:

• Live feeding unless medically unavoidable, oversized prey, frequent fatty items

Supplements:

• No routine powders on whole prey; correct prey size and UV/heat matter more

💤 Brumation

• Seasonal cooling is species-specific and not required for every pet snake
• Do not brumate sick, underweight, newly acquired, or juvenile animals without expert guidance
• Confirm feeding stop, hydration, and temperatures before any planned cooling
• Monitor weight and condition; consult a reptile vet for first attempts

🩺 Health — warning signs

• Retained eye caps or patchy shed → humidity or dehydration issue
• Wheezing, bubbles, open-mouth breathing → respiratory infection
• Regurgitation → prey size, temperature, stress, or disease
• Mites → quarantine and treatment needed
• Refusal to eat with weight loss → investigate promptly

Consult a reptile- or exotic-animal veterinarian for severe weakness, injury, breathing signs, swelling, or prolonged refusal to eat.