The Red-tailed Snake is a species of the snake family Colubridae, found in China, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Vietnam, and Russia. In China, it is the nominate subspecies Lycodon rufozonatus rufozonatus. The adult of this subspecies has a total length of about 1 meter, with a black-brown body and red (reddish-brown) coloration. It is named after the narrow red (reddish-brown) stripes, numbering from 51 to 87+12 to 30, although some individuals may lack these stripes. The cheeks often enter the eye sockets. The head is black, with red edges on the scales and a "∧" shaped red spot on the back of the head. There is a black stripe behind the eye that extends to the 7th upper lip scale. The dorsal scales are smooth, with a few rows of micro-ridges on the posterior part of the body, measuring 19 (17,20,21)—17 (19)—15 (17). The number of rows may reach 21 in a specimen from Chongan, Fujian. The male has 188-224 ventral scales, while the female has 184-222. Other names for this species include Red Forty-eight Segments, Red Long Worm, Red-spotted Snake, Red Flower Seed, Dry Land Fire Chain, Red Centipede Snake, Blood Third Watch, Chain Snake, Mulberry Root, and Toon Root. It emits a strong fishy odor.
Chinese Scientific Name: 赤链环蛇
Also known as: 火赤链，红斑蛇三更蛇
Binomial Name: Lycodonrufozonatus
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Lycodon (Lycodon is an old synonym for Lycodon)
Distribution: China, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Russia
The Red-tailed Snake is widely distributed in China, mostly inhabiting fields, mountains, plains, hills, and areas near water. They are often found in residential areas and are frequently discovered in villages (suburbs surrounding cities and gardens in cities, etc.). They feed on toads, frogs, lizards, fish, mice, snakes, birds, and animal carcasses. They nest in tree holes, grave holes, underground burrows, or under piles of stones and tiles. They are often found in abandoned kilns and their surroundings in the wild. They are nocturnal snakes, mostly active in the evening and particularly active after 10 p.m. They hide in wall crevices, rocks, and caves during the day. When encountering threats, they bury their heads deeply under their bodies and wag their tails as a warning. If the warning is ineffective, they will bend into an S shape and launch an attack. They usually hibernate in late November (Wuhu, Anhui) and emerge from hibernation in mid-March the following year.
However, in some regions, people believe that the Red-tailed Snake can be divided into two types, with different habits and venomous properties. One is the Fire Red-tailed Snake, which lives in mountainous areas and is a highly venomous snake. The other type is the Water Red-tailed Snake, which lives in fields and near ponds. It is believed that this snake is non-venomous. Whether this is true or not remains to be confirmed by zoologists.
It is recommended that those who have experience with snake keeping and are fond of it. The Red-tailed Snake is a relatively gentle species of snake and does not easily attack humans. However, some people may be allergic to snake venom, so it is better not to play with it casually. The reaction to snake venom varies from person to person due to differences in physical constitution. Some people may be fine, while others may have a strong reaction. There are also many deaths in China each year due to the venom of the Red-tailed Snake.
1. Common disease: stomatitis
1) Causes: In spring, snakes are weakened after hibernation. If the humidity of the snake nest is too high and environmental conditions are poor, the snake's oral cavity is prone to bacterial proliferation, making them susceptible to stomatitis. Also, when snakes feed on fish or rodents, they may injure their oral cavity due to fish bones or rodent nails, which can also lead to this disease. This disease is contagious and if not treated in a timely manner, it can quickly spread to the entire snake population.
2) Symptoms: Swelling on both sides of the snake's forehead. Opening the snake's mouth reveals internal ulceration and thick secretions. The snake's head is raised, the mouth is slightly open, and it cannot hold its breath.
3) Treatment: Use degreased cotton swabs to clean the purulent secretions. Then, disinfect with Lysol or boric acid solution. Afterwards, apply gentian violet medicinal solution or ice borax powder for 1-2 times a day, and it will usually heal in about 10 days. If the snake does not open its mouth, use a chopstick to open the snake's mouth for observation and treatment.
4) Disease prevention: If the humidity in the snake nest is high, the snake nest should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected under sunlight. The snake can also be moved to a sunny area to naturally alleviate the disease. The bedding in the snake nest should also be replaced.
2. Common disease: acute pneumonia
1) Causes: High temperature and humidity in the snake nest, large temperature fluctuations, poor air circulation are the main causes of snakes contracting pneumonia. Snakes with poor physical condition or not fully recovered after giving birth are more prone to this disease. If not treated in a timely manner, it can endanger the entire population in 3-5 days, resulting in mass snake deaths. This is a highly contagious disease, and sometimes even healthy snakes are difficult to avoid from getting infected.
2) Symptoms: Difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, often staying outside the nest, even if placed back in the nest, snakes will still crawl out. No secretions can be seen when examining the oral cavity.
3) Treatment: Inject penicillin, 100,000 units twice a day in adult snakes. When injecting, the needle can be inserted into the snake's back muscles at an angle slightly parallel to the body. Alternatively, feed snakes with erythromycin tablets, 0.2 grams each time, three times a day. With timely and proper treatment, infected snakes can recover within 8-14 days.
4) Disease prevention: Provide shade facilities in the snake farm. After removing snakes from the nest, rinse the nest with 1:1000 potassium permanganate solution or bleach solution. After the nest has cooled and dried, put the snakes back. When the weather changes suddenly or when cold waves come, take measures to prevent wind and keep warm.
3. Common disease: snake anorexia
Aside from other diseases, deteriorated or monotonous food can often cause snakes to lose appetite. Anorexic snakes eat very little or even refuse to eat at all. Prolonged anorexia can significantly affect the snake's normal growth.
1) Treatment: Anorexic snakes can be fed with 5-20 mL of complex vitamin B solution, and at the same time, feed them with liquid food such as egg or fresh loach.
2) Disease prevention: Feed snakes with fresh food and pay attention to diversifying their diet. Postpartum snakes should be fed promptly. Snake enclosures should be spacious. Also, regularly deworm the snakes. Other possible diseases in snakes include enteritis, mold disease, tongue worm disease, stick insect disease, ascaridiasis, etc. During the breeding process, observe the snakes closely, search for relevant information, and administer appropriate treatment.
Snakes do not have a strong self-healing ability when it comes to diseases. Therefore, during the breeding process, it is necessary to pay close attention to any changes in snakes. If signs of illness are found, the affected snakes should be separated from others to minimize the risk of spreading.
Red-tailed Snake Feeding Points
After setting up a captive environment for the Red-tailed Snake that closely resembles its natural habitat, it is also very important to feed it the right food. It is important to note that fresh drinking water must be provided for the snake, not only to maintain the humidity in the enclosure but also to ensure that the snake has access to water.
During the feeding process, do not always use the same type of food. It is necessary to switch the variety regularly, such as using mice, fish, loaches, water snakes, toads, and small chickens as different options. In order to conveniently store food, you can train the snake to eat dead loaches. Dead loaches refer to fresh loaches that have been killed by boiling them in hot water. Before training the Red-tailed Snake to eat dead loaches, feeding other food should be temporarily suspended.
The Red-tailed Snake also enjoys eating small chickens, and young chickens that are eliminated from chicken farms are good choices for food. As the Red-tailed Snake has the habit of feeding on snakes, it is recommended to keep only 1-2 snakes in each enclosure, and not to keep multiple snakes together. Large snakes and small snakes, as well as parent snakes and baby snakes, should not be housed together. Even if they are housed together, it is important to feed them in a timely manner to avoid snakes eating their own kind due to hunger. After swallowing food, the Red-tailed Snake likes to rest quietly. During this time, it is important not to disturb it. If it is disturbed, it is likely to regurgitate the food it has eaten.
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