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Posted by Trace on August 22, 2001 at 20:55:19:
In Reply to: A caresheet for Asian Green Vine Snakes, A. prasina, please. posted by T.J. Gould on August 20, 2001 at 23:20:26:
Aww, the splendid vine snake! One of my favorite. I wrote this care sheet for my Kentuckiana herp. society and got quite a bit of compliments on its' accuracy. The South West herp. society even re-printed it. Post some questions on them if you have any, one of us Ahaetulla freaks will have an answer!
The General Care and Husbandry of the Asian Green Vine snake
By: Trace Hardin V.E.
Common names: Asian green vine snake, Oriental whip snake
Latin name: Ahaetulla prasina
Region: Asia, many subspecies of the Ahaetulla range from Central Asia to extreme S.E Asia.
Habitat: This species of Vine snake lives in tropical forests. A. prasina is completely arboreal, rarely venturing down from the upper foliage. In captivity they demand between 80-100% humidity just to give a small idea of the environment, these fragile rear-fanged reptiles are from.
Appearance: The Asian green vine snake is the largest of the Ahaetulla’s, this species can reach sizes up to and over Six feet. The width of these snakes is remarkably thin; some of the largest are only as big around as an adult’s index finger. They are brilliant green, which can sometimes run between hues of blue and tiny amounts of brown. Occasionally they have a pair of lateral white lines that ranges between yellowish and creamy ivory. Even the tongue is neon green. Some species, including the A. prasina have pupils that run horizontally instead of vertically, this characteristic allows binocular vision and distinguishing between prey and inanimate objects, this Genera supposedly has the best eye sight of any other snake. The most significant feature that this species possess though and what usually turns hobbyists on to them immediately is the attenuated head. The A. prasina has a head that is shaped somewhat like an elongated spade; this feature helps hold their rear-fangs. Now that all the pros have been stated, on with the con, this snake is considered venomous and shouldn’t be kept by any inexperienced keepers. The venom is very weak and at worst can cause swelling and itching at the bite area, if bitten by a person who is not allergic to the specific proteins. Unfortunately venom is venom.
Behavior: The Ahaetulla prasina is a very docile reptile and only in extreme cases do they puff up and hiss, or at worst strike. Many keepers think nothing of free handling their snake. A peculiar defense this species has is to become completely motionless and if there is a breeze they will sway to and fro. Other times when they feel threatened they will extend their tongue and keep it immobile for minutes at a time, the use for this is unknown.
Basic Husbandry: The Asian green vine snake is a relatively complicated species to keep. One of the hardest things is to keep them at a very high humidity, because they have a very hard time shedding at anything lower than 80% humidity. Also keep a supply of running water, the green vine snake can’t drink standing water, so they must retain most of their liquids through breathing the high humidity and drinking dew that stands on leaves and glass. Their enclosures’ temperature should range between 80 and 85 and basking limbs should reach temps of 95 F. Since this an arboreal species a cage taller is better than wider or longer. A perfect design would be an enclosure Six feet high by Three foot by Three foot. A shower stall would work perfectly with a plexiglass door and mesh canopy. Unfortunately, there has never been a recorded captive breeding of the Ahaetulla prasina to date, and parasites are prevalent even on captive raised specimens. Feeding of this snake can be a little tricky, they very rarely, if ever will prey on mammal prey. Their diet consists almost entirely of geckoes and Anole lizards, occasionally a small bird may be offered. Overall the Asian green vine snake could be very awarding, if the secrets of captive breeding is unlocked.
