The Bismarck Ringed Python is a medium sized snake that is native to a small group of islands off the coast of Papua New Guinea. These snakes have beautiful vibrant colors as babies, but they generally fade as the snake matures.
These snakes come from the same genus as the White Lipped Python species who are also found on the islands surrounding New Guinea, as well as the mainland itself.
Taxonomy
The scientific name for the Bismarck Ringed Python is Bothrochilus boa. However, do not let the name fool you. This snake belongs to the Python family, it is not a Boa.
There has been a lot of debate over the years as to what genus the Bismarck Ringed Python belongs to. Currently the species is listed under the Bothrochilus genus. They were first listed under this genus in 1843.
However, since then they have been reclassified several times. In 1993 they were put back into the Bothrochilus genus and have remained there ever since.
Some of the genus’s they were classified under include Liasis and Morelia. The Liasis genus contains species such as the Olive Python and the Macklot’s Python. The Morelia genus contains species such as the Green Tree Python and Carpet Python.
The Bothrochilus genus that this snake belongs to actually contains all the species of White Lipped Python. There are 6 different species of White Lipped Python with the 7th species in the genus being the Bismarck Ringed Python. All of these snakes are native to New Guinea or the surrounding islands.
Description
The Bismarck Ringed Python is a medium sized snake that can grow to a length of about 5ft. The scales of the snake are iridescent, similar to a Brazilian Rainbow Boa.
These snakes go through a drastic color change as they mature. The patterning on juveniles consists of vibrant orange and black bands. After about a year, these vibrant colors begin to fade away.
An adult Bismarck Ringed Python usually loses the orange coloration as it changes to a dull brown. The black bands are often reduced to black blotching on a dull brown background.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Bismarck Ringed Python is native to the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago. This is a group of islands off the North-Eastern coast of New Guinea in the Western Pacific Ocean.
This chain of islands, along with the Solomon Island Archipelago make up one of the four regions of Papau New Guinea. The islands of the Bismarck Archipelago have an area of around 50,000 square km.
The Bismarck Ringed Python can be found on many of these islands including Umboi, New Britain, New Ireland, Duke of York and Tatau. The type locale for the species is New Ireland.
There are many other common reptile species found in New Guinea including the Boelen’s Python, the Red Eyed Crocodile Skink and the Viper Boa.
These snakes like to live in the humid rainforests on these islands but they can also be found in a wide range of other habitats such as in open grassland.
They have adapted to human habitation of the islands and can be found in crop fields and other types of farmland. The increased presence of food attracts the snakes to these areas.
They live in a part of the world that has a huge diversity of different reptile species. They share part of their geographic distribution with a wide range of other reptiles such as the Amethystine Python, Blue Tailed Monitor, Blue Tongue Skink, Crocodile Monitor, Emerald Tree Monitor, Mangrove Monitor, Mourning Gecko, Peach Throat Monitor and the Pink Bellied Side Neck Turtle. However, some of these reptiles may have different habitat niches.
Feeding a Bismarck Ringed Python
The Bismarck Ringed Python is generally a very good feeder. However, as with all snakes it is recommended not to handle them for a couple of hours before feeding.
A hatchling can be fed one appropriately sized rodent per week. The size of the meal should not exceed the girth of the snake, at the snake’s largest point.
Most hatchlings have to be fed pinkie mice as they are too small to be fed other prey items. However, once large enough, you can try to convert them over to rat pups if you want.
As your snake grows, the size of their meal will need to be increased. A general rule is to feed them rodents that are slightly smaller than the girth of the snake at the snake’s largest point.
We recommend keeping an adult Bismarck Ringed Python on a feeding schedule of one rodent every week. However, don’t feed excessively large meals unless you are feeding less frequently.
Bismarck Ringed Python Enclosure
A juvenile Bismarck Ringed Python can be housed in an enclosure measuring 18x12x12 inches. This will be large enough for the first year or so of the snake’s life.
As your snake grows, you will need to upgrade their enclosure. You can choose to do this gradually or place them straight into their adult enclosure once they are around a year old.
An adult Bismarck Ringed Python should be housed in an enclosure measuring no less than 3ft x 2ft x 2ft. Larger specimens may need an even larger enclosure.
These snakes do well in a wide variety of enclosures such as glass, PVC and even custom-built wooden enclosures. However, these snakes like high humidity so wood will need to be properly sealed to prevent rotting.
Always ensure you have at least two places for your snake to hide. One on the warm side and one on the cool side of the enclosure. This will ensure that your snake can feel secure while thermoregulating.
Light and Heat
The warm side of your Bismarck Ringed Python enclosure should be around 88F while the cool side can drop to around 80F. This will allow your snake to efficiently regulate its body temperature.
The heat source should be placed at one side of the enclosure. This will create the necessary thermal gradient as the snake moves away from the source of the heat.
You can choose to heat your Bismarck Ringed Python enclosure using overhead heat or an under-tank heat mat. This really depends on personal preference and enclosure type.
Whatever heat source you choose, it is important to ensure that it is connected to a high-quality thermostat. This will take the guesswork away and ensure the temperatures in the enclosure are correct.
Bismarck Ringed Python Humidity and Substrate
You should use a substrate that will help increase humidity levels without moulding. Some good substrates to use include Cypress Mulch and Coco Fibre.
If you choose to use newspaper or paper towel in your enclosure, you should make one of the hides a ‘damp hide’. This involves filling the hide with damp sphagnum moss to provide your snake with a humid area.
A Bismarck Ringed Python likes a humidity range of 60-80%. This can be achieved by placing a large water bowl in the enclosure and regularly misting the walls and substrate.
If you do not want to manually mist the enclosure every day or so, you can use a fogger. These can be programmed to turn on at certain times and will provide a humidity spike in you Bismarck Ringed Python enclosure.