African House Snake (Boaedon spp.) Care Sheet
African House Snakes are a group of small to medium-sized, non-venomous colubrid snakes distributed widely across sub-Saharan Africa.
Several species occur in captivity and historically many were grouped together or sold simply as the “African House Snake”. Consequently, accurate species identification is useful because adult size, appearance and natural distribution can differ between Boaedon species.
Their generally manageable size, straightforward feeding and relatively calm disposition have made captive-bred African House Snakes increasingly popular with reptile keepers.
Quick Facts
Scientific name: Boaedon spp.
Common name: African House Snake
Family: Lamprophiidae
Origin: Sub-Saharan Africa
Adult size: Commonly approximately 60–120 cm (2–4 ft), depending on species and sex
Lifespan: Approximately 15–20+ years with appropriate care
Activity: Primarily nocturnal/crepuscular
Diet: Carnivorous
Temperament: Generally calm; juveniles may be defensive
Experience level: Beginner to intermediate
Taxonomy
The name “African House Snake” can refer to several members of the genus Boaedon.
Animals historically labelled Lamprophis fuliginosus in captivity may now be recognised as different Boaedon species.
For this reason, keepers should obtain as much information as possible regarding the exact species and locality of their animal.
Commonly encountered members of the group include species such as:
- Boaedon fuliginosus
- Boaedon capensis
- Boaedon lineatus
alongside several less commonly maintained species.
This care sheet provides general husbandry suitable for commonly maintained Boaedon, but species-specific requirements should always be researched where the animal’s identity is known.
Natural History
African House Snakes occupy an enormous range of habitats across Africa.
Depending upon species and locality they may occur in:
- Grassland
- Savannah
- Woodland
- Scrub
- Rocky environments
- Agricultural areas
- Areas surrounding human habitation
Their common name reflects their tendency to occur around buildings and settlements where rodents and other small prey may be abundant.
They spend considerable time concealed beneath rocks, vegetation, debris and within burrows or crevices, becoming more active during the evening and night.
Wild prey can include rodents, small mammals, lizards, frogs and occasionally other vertebrates.
Enclosure
African House Snakes are terrestrial but capable climbers and should be provided with both floor space and opportunities to climb.
For an average adult, an enclosure approximately:
90 × 45 × 45 cm (36 × 18 × 18 in)
provides a reasonable minimum starting point.
Larger females and larger Boaedon species benefit from additional space.
The enclosure should ideally allow the snake to fully stretch out and move between distinct environmental zones.
Provide:
- At least two secure hides
- Branches
- Cork bark
- Artificial or live vegetation
- Ground cover
- Different substrate depths
- A water bowl
- Visual barriers
African House Snakes are excellent escape artists.
Doors, ventilation openings and cable ports must therefore be completely secure.
Young snakes can escape through extremely small gaps.
Housing
African House Snakes are best housed individually.
Permanent cohabitation provides little benefit and introduces unnecessary risks including:
- Feeding accidents
- Competition for resources
- Stress
- Unwanted breeding
- Difficulty monitoring individual animals
Animals should only be introduced deliberately for breeding under appropriate supervision.
Temperature & Heating
Provide a thermal gradient that allows the snake to regulate its own body temperature.
A useful general range for commonly maintained African House Snakes is:
Warm hide / warm area: approximately 28–30°C
Basking surface: approximately 30–32°C
Cool end: approximately 22–25°C
Night: a moderate nighttime reduction is acceptable
Exact requirements should be adjusted where the species and geographical origin are known.
Overhead heating provides a natural method of creating a thermal gradient.
Suitable options can include:
- Halogen basking lamps
- Deep heat projectors
- Ceramic heat emitters where appropriate
All heat sources must be controlled by a suitable thermostat.
The snake must always be able to retreat completely from the heated area.
Temperatures should be checked with reliable digital thermometers, and an infrared thermometer is useful for measuring surface temperatures.
Lighting & UVB
Provide a clear day/night cycle of approximately:
10–12 hours of light per day
with seasonal variation if desired.
African House Snakes have historically been maintained without UVB, but providing access to low-level UVB is beneficial and recommended where practical.
A suitable system can provide approximately:
UVI 1–2 in the exposed basking area
while hides and shaded areas allow the snake to completely avoid UV exposure.
UV strength depends upon lamp output, reflector, distance and enclosure mesh.
Manufacturer guidance should therefore be followed and UV levels ideally verified using an appropriate UV meter.
Do not use coloured red, blue or purple bulbs for nighttime viewing.
The enclosure should become dark at night.
Humidity
African House Snakes generally do not require constantly high humidity.
For many commonly maintained species, approximately:
40–60% relative humidity
with natural fluctuations is appropriate.
However, requirements vary between species and localities.
A humid hide containing damp sphagnum moss or another suitable moisture-retentive material should be available, particularly during shedding.
Avoid keeping the entire enclosure permanently wet.
Excessive moisture combined with poor ventilation can contribute to:
- Scale problems
- Bacterial growth
- Fungal growth
- Respiratory disease
Fresh ventilation is essential.
Water
Clean drinking water must be available at all times.
Provide a stable bowl large enough for the snake to drink comfortably from and, ideally, soak if desired.
Water should be changed regularly and immediately if contaminated.
The bowl itself should be thoroughly cleaned rather than simply topped up.
Substrate
Suitable substrates include:
- Aspen
- Lignocel
- Reptile-safe soil mixtures
- Coconut-based substrate
- Cypress-type mulch
- Naturalistic soil-based substrates
A sufficiently deep substrate encourages natural burrowing behaviour.
Bioactive husbandry can also be successful when correctly established.
Avoid:
- Cedar
- Pine
- Calcium sand
- Sharp substrates
- Artificially scented products
Paper towel is useful during quarantine or when monitoring an animal with health concerns.
Hides & Enrichment
African House Snakes naturally spend considerable periods concealed.
At minimum provide:
One secure hide at the warm end and one at the cool end.
Additional cover is strongly encouraged.
Suitable enrichment includes:
- Cork bark
- Branches
- Leaf litter
- Plants
- Tubes
- Rocks secured against collapse
- Different substrate depths
- Climbing opportunities
A hide should be sufficiently enclosed that the snake can make contact with its sides while resting.
Large, exposed caves may not provide the same sense of security.
Feeding
African House Snakes are carnivorous.
Captive animals can normally be maintained primarily on appropriately sized rodents.
Suitable prey includes:
- Mice
- Multimammate mice where appropriately sourced
- Small rats for sufficiently large individuals
Prey size should be appropriate to the individual snake rather than selected according to age alone.
Frozen-thawed prey is generally recommended over live feeding.
A typical adult may be offered an appropriately sized meal approximately every:
7–14 days
depending upon prey size, body condition, age and reproductive status.
Juveniles generally require smaller meals more frequently.
Feeding schedules should always be adjusted according to the snake’s body condition rather than rigidly following a calendar.
Avoid Overfeeding
African House Snakes can be enthusiastic feeders.
This makes overfeeding a genuine concern in captivity.
An adult snake should maintain good muscle tone and a healthy body profile without becoming excessively rounded or developing obvious fat deposits.
Obesity can contribute to:
- Reduced activity
- Fatty deposits
- Reproductive problems
- Reduced overall health
- Potentially shortened lifespan
Increasing prey size and feeding frequency simply because a snake readily accepts food is unnecessary.
Feeding Safety
Use feeding tongs when presenting prey.
Avoid handling rodents and then immediately placing bare hands into the enclosure without washing them, as food scent may trigger a feeding response.
There is generally no need to move a snake into a separate enclosure for feeding.
Feeding within the normal enclosure avoids unnecessary handling and disturbance.
After feeding, allow sufficient time for digestion before routine handling.
Shedding
Healthy African House Snakes normally shed their skin in one complete piece.
Before shedding the snake may display:
- Duller colouration
- Cloudy or blue-grey eyes
- Reduced activity
- Reduced appetite
A humid hide should be available.
Retained shed, particularly around the eyes or tail tip, should not simply be pulled away from a dry animal.
Repeated shedding difficulties can indicate problems with hydration, humidity, nutrition or underlying health.
Handling
Captive-bred African House Snakes usually become tolerant of gentle handling.
Juveniles may initially be nervous and can strike defensively, but this often reduces with calm, consistent interaction.
When handling:
- Support the snake’s body
- Allow it to move through your hands
- Avoid gripping tightly
- Keep sessions short initially
- Avoid handling immediately after feeding
- Avoid unnecessary handling during shedding
Never restrain a snake by its head or tail unless medically necessary and performed by someone appropriately experienced.
Temperament
African House Snakes are generally regarded as manageable snakes.
Individuals vary considerably, however.
Defensive behaviours can include:
- Rapid retreat
- Striking
- Musking
- Flattening the body
- Repeated attempts to escape
These behaviours are usually defensive rather than aggressive.
Providing adequate cover and reducing unnecessary disturbance can significantly improve confidence.
Health
Common health concerns include:
- Respiratory infections
- Mites
- Internal parasites
- Retained shed
- Scale infections
- Mouth infections
- Obesity
- Regurgitation
- Reproductive complications
Warning signs include:
- Persistent refusal to feed accompanied by weight loss
- Wheezing
- Open-mouth breathing
- Excessive mucus
- Bubbles around the mouth or nostrils
- Abnormal swelling
- Repeated regurgitation
- Persistent diarrhoea
- Neurological abnormalities
- Unexplained weight loss
Occasional seasonal reductions in appetite do not necessarily indicate illness, particularly in otherwise healthy adults.
Regular weighing is useful for determining whether apparent fasting is associated with actual loss of condition.
Persistent or serious symptoms require assessment by a suitably experienced reptile/exotic veterinarian.
Quarantine
New reptiles should be quarantined away from established animals.
During quarantine:
- Use easily cleaned furnishings
- Monitor feeding
- Monitor faeces
- Check carefully for mites
- Record body weight
- Observe breathing and behaviour
- Maintain separate equipment where possible
Veterinary faecal testing may be appropriate, particularly for animals of uncertain origin.
Good quarantine practices help protect both the new animal and an existing collection.
Breeding
African House Snakes breed readily in captivity.
Females are generally larger than males and may produce multiple eggs in a clutch.
Only healthy, mature animals in good body condition should be bred.
Females require appropriate nutrition and sufficient calcium reserves for egg production.
A suitable nesting area containing slightly moist substrate should be available.
Breeding females should be monitored carefully for signs of reproductive difficulty.
Anyone intending to breed Boaedon should identify their animals accurately wherever possible and avoid producing crosses between different species or uncertain localities.
Accurate breeding records help preserve the integrity of captive populations.
Hatchlings
African House Snake hatchlings are relatively small.
They require:
- Extremely secure accommodation
- Appropriately small hides
- Correct temperature gradients
- Fresh water
- Appropriately sized prey
Their small size means enclosure security is particularly important.
A gap that appears insignificant can be large enough for a hatchling to escape through.
Some hatchlings may require patience before feeding consistently, although established captive-bred animals are generally reliable feeders.
Responsible Ownership
African House Snakes can live for well over a decade and should be considered a long-term commitment.
Prospective keepers should ensure they can provide:
- Suitable adult accommodation
- Reliable heating and thermostatic control
- Appropriate prey
- Veterinary treatment when required
- Long-term care
Whenever possible, choose captive-bred animals with accurate species and breeding information.
Never release a captive snake into the wild.
Summary
African House Snakes are attractive, manageable and generally hardy snakes that can make excellent captive reptiles when maintained correctly.
Successful husbandry depends upon providing a secure enclosure, appropriate thermal gradient, suitable humidity, multiple hides, environmental enrichment and correctly sized prey without overfeeding.
Because several Boaedon species are encountered under the African House Snake name, identifying the animal as accurately as possible allows its husbandry to be tailored more precisely.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This care sheet provides general husbandry guidance and does not replace species-specific research or veterinary advice. Individual requirements may vary.
If you have concerns about an animal’s health or care, consult a suitably experienced exotic or reptile veterinarian.
Information correct at the date of publication.
reptilecommunity.com | Revised: August 2026