Sunbeam Snake Information
The sunbeam snake (Xenopeltis unicolor), also referred to as the iridescent earth snake, is a primitive snake common to Asia. It gets its colorful name from its scales, which appear black or brown in low light but show an iridescent prism of colors in sunlight. Though captured and exported in the pet trade, sunbeam snakes generally do not fare well in captivity, as they are easily stressed.
Other People Are Reading
-
Identification
-
Sunbeam snakes are slender reptiles that can reach lengths of up to 4 feet. Their body color is a dark brown to nearly black in low light, with a cream-colored underbelly. In direct sunlight, their scales become iridescent in an effect that has been described as "oil-on-water," according to Mark O'Shea, author of "Boas and Pythons of the World." They are further identified by their narrow pointed head and small eyes. Young sunbeam snakes have a single white band around their necks that fades as the snakes age.
Geography
-
Sunbeam snakes are common throughout Asia, from Myanmar to the Yunnan province of China. Their range also extends into much of southeast Asia, including the entire southeast Asian mainland and several of the islands, such as Borneo, Java, Sumatra and the Palawan province of the Philippines.
-
Habitat
-
Sunbeam snakes fare well in a variety of humid natural habitats: monsoon forests, agricultural areas like rice paddies and fields, gardens, parks, swamps and wet ditches.
In captivity, sunbeam snakes require a humidity level of approximately 80 to 100 percent and a deep substrate for burrowing. A dry environment can quickly lead to a sunbeam snake's death, according to Petra Spiess at King Snake.com.
Diet
-
The diet of the sunbeam snake includes ground-dwelling birds, lizards, small mammals, frogs and other snakes. Sunbeam snakes prefer prey that is slightly elongated and that doesn't exceed their own body in width, according to Mark O'Shea, author of "Boas and Pythons of the World." The species is nonvenomous and kill their prey through constriction, coiling around their prey until it suffocates.
Behavior
-
Sunbeam snakes are nocturnal, ground-dwelling reptiles. When not actively burrowing underground, sunbeam snakes can be observed hunting for prey. These snakes rarely leave their burrows except to hunt.
Overall, the species is harmless, inoffensive and relatively docile. Though generally reluctant to bite, a sunbeam snake will release a potent musk from its cloaca when handled or disturbed.
-
