SpeciesMandarin rat snake
Mandarin rat snake
Euprepiophis mandarinus
Beautifully marked but demanding: it lives hidden, reacts strongly to stress and tolerates warmth far less well than most colubrids.
- Group
- Snake
- Level
- Advanced
- Origin
- East and Southeast Asia
Where the species comes from
- World region
- East and Southeast Asia
- Countries
- China, Taiwan, northern Vietnam and Myanmar
- Habitat
- Cool montane forest; mostly underground in tunnels and beneath stones
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A cool, well-structured enclosure with climbing opportunities. The Animal Welfare Ordinance sets no minimum size for mandarin rat snakes. The reference is the German 1997 expert report on reptile keeping: at least 1 × 0.5 × 1 body lengths, i.e. 120 × 60 × 120 cm for a total length of 120 cm.
- Temperature
- Warm side 24–27 °C, cool side 18–22 °C; avoid overheating.
- Humidity
- Around 60–75 % with good ventilation.
- Lighting
- A bright, rather cool day–night cycle with low-level UVB.
- Substrate
- Deep humus-rich soil with leaf litter, bark and mossy areas.
- Furnishings
- Plenty of snug hides, cork and cover.
- Water
- Fresh water.
- Feeding
- Small thawed rodents.
- Behaviour
- Secretive and often prone to stress.
- Handling
- Handle rarely and calmly.
- Cohabitation
- Keep singly.
- Health
- Stress, food intake, breathing and weight.
- Seasonal cycle
- Two to three months of winter rest at 10–14 °C. The mandarin rat snake lives in mountain forests and tolerates heat poorly: A cool season is not an extra for it, but part of species-appropriate husbandry.
- Safety
- Particularly sensitive to heat.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The genus is on the list of harmless venomous snakes in the federal veterinary office’s ordinance on keeping wild animals (SR 455.110.3) and is therefore exempt from the permit requirement under Art. 89 let. h of the Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
No CITES listing
Not listed in the CITES appendices: Import and transfer require no species-protection papers. Keep the proof of purchase nonetheless
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not list this species. Among snakes the table names only giant snakes (pythons and boas), elapids, vipers and pit vipers, and a few venomous or dangerous colubrids; for the rest no figure appears there.
The general rule in Annex 2 (letter K) then applies: the enclosure must be large enough for everything the species needs (hides, basking spot, climbing branches) to be arranged sensibly. As a yardstick, the ordinance points to expert opinions on a scientific basis. There is therefore no binding figure. The guide values in the calculator come from the 1997 expert report. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
