Rat Snake Mandarin behavior

At one time the beautiful Mandarin Ratsnake was incredibly rare in captivity. Today this stunning snake is becoming more common among hobbyists.

Native to Southeastern Asia, the Mandarin Ratsnake is truly one of the most beautiful species of Ratsnake in the world. Because Mandarin Ratsnakes can be difficult to keep and are relatively rare in captivity they can be rather expensive. Wild-caught Mandarin Ratsnakes are notoriously difficult to maintain in captivity. The Mandarin Ratsnake is very susceptible to disease when it is stressed. This combined with the fact that they are easy to stress, particularly after capture, contributes greatly to their high mortality rate when these snakes are imported from the wild. The average imported specimen usually only lives a couple of months. Luckily, captive breeding programs are increasing, so finding captively bred specimens is getting easier. It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in these snakes try to find a captively bred specimen. Specimens bred in captivity are said to be hardy and relatively easy to take care of. In the wild these snakes are largely nocturnal, meaning they are mostly active at night. They are usually found burrowed beneath moss and leaf litter in the forest and mountain regions of Southeastern Asia.