Care Sheet Black Headed Royal Snake

Scientific Name
Spalerosophis diadema atriceps
Subspecies:
diadema , atriceps , cliffordii , schiraziana
Common names
Black-headed Royal Snake, Pakistan Jewelled Ratsnake ( S. d. atriceps )
Diadem Snake , Camel Snake , Schirazi Camel Snake ( S. d. schiraziana ) , Clifford's
Camel Snake ( S. d. clifordii ) , Clifford's Whip Snake ( S. d. clifordii ) ,Clifford's
Diadem Snake ( S. d. clifordii ), Eastern Diadem Snake ( S. d. diadema ) , Blotched
Royal Snake ( S. d. diadema )
Local Names
Bou M'raiat , Ar'am , Ahmah , Raqta
Range
West Bengal, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In Pakistan they are distributed
throughout the Province of Sindh and have been recorded from Khairpur, Larkana,
Umerkot, Nagarparkar and Mirpurkhas
Size
Adult Length: 1.40-1.65 m
Habitat
Up to about 2200 metres in arid to semiarid terrain including cultivated farmland,
sand and stone desert terrain.
Housing
Vivarium 915 x 470 x 525 mm(LDH)
1

Dcor
Minimum requirements medium water bowl, cork bark tubes or two hides one for the
cool side and one for the warm. .
Substrate
Aspen, Beech Chippings, Newspaper.
Temperature/Humidity
75-85F, Basking spot 85-90F, low humidity.
Feeding
Feeds mainly on lizards, small mammals, rats and mice but will feed on young song
birds and other small birds
Comments
**Not actually a ratsnake they are rear-fanged mildly venomous colubrids.**
Medium to moderately large in length, cylindrical, moderately slender, elongate
bodied snake with a medium to moderately short tail. Can grow to a maximum of
about 1.88 metres but very rarely exceeds 1.30 metres. Head is elongate, somewhat
triangular and distinct from neck with a rounded snout. Eyes are moderately large in
size with round pupils. Dorsal scales are large and obtusely keeled.
Mainly diurnal except for the hottest months when crepuscular and nocturnal activity
dominates. Tends to take shelter under stones, loose rock areas, in abandoned rodent
burrows or under roots of desert plants. Will immediately flee if approached and will
thrash about and strike readily if cornered or provoked. Small mammals succumb
quickly to the oral gland secretion
Dorsally they are pale buff or sandy grey, with a median series of dark blotches, and
smaller dark spots. Ventrally they are usually uniform white, but rarely have small
blackish spots

John Gamesby