Boaedon capensis
African house snake
A terrestrial cage with tight hides. The older genus name Lamprophis is still common on labels.
Legal status
- Check local rules
Boaedon capensis is not recorded here as listed in the CITES Appendices. No EU wildlife-trade annex was verified for this species, so the annex field is empty. It is not marked on the EU list of invasive alien species and it is not marked as venomous. National and regional rules can still restrict keeping. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 22–28°C
- Basking
- 30–32°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 1. About 0.1–0.7
- Humidity
- 50–70%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 90 × 45 × 45 cm for one adult
- Adult size
- Often 60–120 cm. Females are larger.
- Lifespan
- Often 15–20 years.
- Difficulty
- beginner
Diet and feeding
Rodents. Every 5–7 days for juveniles. Every 7–10 days for adults.
Substrate
Cypress or paper.
Health
Ordinary colubrid problems, plus a tendency to stay hidden so you have to look.
Handling
Usually calm. Support the body.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.