The Sunbeam Snake is a stunning species of snake that is native to parts of South-East Asia. These snakes are gaining a lot of popularity in the reptile hobby.
This snake is a fossorial species, meaning it spends most of its time underground. It has one of the most spectacular iridescence of any species of snake.
There are actually two closely related species of Sunbeam Snake, Xenopeltis hainanensis and Xenopeltis unicolor. In this article, we are concentrating on Xenopeltis unicolor.
Sunbeam Snake Taxonomy
The Sunbeam Snake belongs to the family Xenopeltidae. This is a family of snake with only one genus, Xenopeltis or the Sunbeam Snakes.
The genus Xenopeltis genus contains only two species of Sunbeam Snake, Xenopeltis hainanensis and Xenopeltis unicolor.
Both of these species and the family Xenopeltidae were first described by F. Boie in 1827.
An interesting study has shown that the Sunbeam Snake is actually closely related to Pythons, such as the Blood Python and Burmese Python.
Sunbeam Snake Description
The Sunbeam Snakes is a relatively small species that typically only grows to around 3 feet in length. It is possible for them to reach 4 feet, but this is quite rare.
This snake gets its name from its appearance. These snakes have a spectacular iridescence when exposes to sunlight, similar to that of a Brazilian Rainbow Boa.
The background of the snake has a dull dark brown or black coloration but when contrasted with the iridescence, it forms a spectacular looking snake. The belly scales on the snake are much lighter.
The head of the snake is wedge-shaped. This is designed to help the snake dig as they are fossorial. This means that they spend most of their life underground in burrows.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Sunbeam Snake can be found throughout much of South-East Asia. Their range extends through a large portion of the mainland as well as throughout many of the surrounding islands.
On the mainland they can be found in places such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia and parts of Southern China.
They can also be found throughout many of the islands in the region such as the Indonesian and Philippine islands.
They share some of their range with species such as the Elongated Tortoise and Golden Gecko.
Sunbeam Snake As Pets
Due to the rise in popularity of the Sunbeam Snake in the reptile hobby, more and more specimens are being taken from the wild and sold into the pet trade.
If you are looking to buy a Sunbeam Snake it is important to source one from a breeder who has produced these animals in captivity.
Captive bred animals are typically healthier than imported ones as they have not been subjected to the same stresses. Wild caught animals can also introduce disease and parasites into your existing reptile collection.
A healthy captive bred Sunbeam Snake can live for over 10 years in captivity. Many wild caught animals tend to perish in captivity, which is another reason to source a healthy captive bred snake.
Behaviour
The Sunbeam Snake prefers to spend most of its time burrowing in the substrate. While it will come out occasionally, you are unlikely to see this snake roaming around its enclosure too often.
Similar to the popular Kenyan Sand Boa, this snake will live most of its life buried in the substrate of its enclosure. Hence, they are not a good option as a display animal.
They are typically a docile snake and will rarely try to bite. They generally don’t mind being handled but you should stick to short handling sessions a few times a week to avoid stressing the snake.
Sunbeam Snake Enclosure
When housing a Sunbeam Snake, you can choose from a variety of different enclosure types. Glass, wooden or PVC enclosures work well while a reptile rack or tub can also be used.
Some reptile keepers are against the use of racks and tubs but this is a species who will do well in such a setup giving their natural behaviour. These snakes will spend the vast majority of their time buried amongst the substrate and will rarely venture to the surface.
This means they do not require elaborate cage furnishings or excess height in their enclosure. As they are rarely seen, there is also no real need to keep them in a display enclosure.
While this snake spends most of its time buried in the substrate, they are still quite active and like to move around. You should aim for an enclosure that is around 3ft x 1ft. Height isn’t overly important for this species.
You will need to have a thick layer of substrate to promote burrowing. It is vital that there is enough substrate to allow the snake to fully submerge below the surface. However, an even deeper layer will be appreciated by the snake.
You do not need to include much decoration in the enclosure. A simple Cork Bark log is enough so that your snake can feel secure if it does venture to the surface. However, if you prefer a decorative enclosure, it is perfectly fine to add more.
The substrate should be at least 8 inches deep and consist of a loose substrate such as Coco Fibre or a mixture of soil and sand.
You will need to include a large fresh water dish in the enclosure. While these snakes will get a lot of their moisture from the substrate and the humidity of their environment, they will also use the water bowl to drink from and bathe in.
Temperature and Humidity
You should provide your Sunbeam Snake with a warm spot of 80-85F. This can be achieved by using an under-tank heat pad which should be connected to a good quality thermostat.
The ambient temperature in the enclosure can be around 70F. These snakes don’t need any special kind of lighting such as UVB as they spend most of their life underground.
These snakes require very high humidity levels. You will need to keep the humidity at 75% or higher. This is probably the most difficult part of caring for a Sunbeam Snake.
You will want to keep humidity levels high while preventing stagnant, swampy conditions from forming inside the enclosure as this will result in a breeding ground for bacteria.
Sunbeam Snake Diet
In the wild, a Sunbeam Snake will eat a varied diet of rodents, frogs, small reptiles and other small animals they encounter. They are an opportunistic feeder.
This varied diet doesn’t need to be replicated in captivity as these snakes will do well on a diet that consists exclusively of frozen thawed mice or rats.
One thing to note about these snakes is that they can’t extend their jaws as much as many other species so it is best to feed them rodents that are on the smaller size.
You can aim for mice that are between half and two thirds the girth of the snake at the snake’s largest point. As the mice will be smaller, you can offer them two or three mice per feed.