Black-tailed Cribo - Drymarchon melanurus
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General Information

Distribution — Central America from the Yucatan to Panama

Habitat — Varied habitats from fields to tropical rainforest.

Adult Size — Black-tails are very slender but long snakes which attain lengths of 1.7 to 2.15 m (5.5 to 7 feet)

Temperament — Wild caught animals are flighty and difficult to handle while domestically bred individuals will calm down with persistent gentle handling.

Longevity — Very little long term data is available for domestically bred individuals; however, this species may live 15-20 years.

Captive Care

Rating: 3 — Nervous temperament, rarely available as domestically bred animals, attain a relatively large size.  These snakes also require a large spacious enclosure.

Diet: Young - pinky and fuzzy mice; Adults - adult mice, hopper rats, and small rats.  Should be fed small meals more frequently than with other snakes.

Temperature: 23°C to 28°C (72°F to 82°F).

Space: Due to its large adult size and active nature, this snake requires a very large enclosure to adequately house it.  Adults require a minimum of a 1.8 m x 0.6 m (6'x2').

Breeding: Mating season is between the months of November and March with oviposition (egg laying) occurring from January through to May. This species will breed if they are cooled during the night only.  Do not cool these snakes like North American colubrids.  Eggs should be incubated in a relatively dry medium with high relatively humidity.  The eggs will hatch in 84-89 days at incubation temperatures of 25°C to 26°C (77°F-79°F).

Special Requirements: Aside from large enclosures, these snakes need to be fed a little more frequently than others.  Meals should be small relative to the snake's size.  Young snakes should be fed every 5-7 days and adults may be fed weekly or bi-weekly depending upon their age and size.  Finally, black-tail cribos may experience shedding difficulties if they do not have access to a humid hide.

Sources (Suggested Reading):

de Vosjoli, Philippe.  2004.  The Art of Keeping Snakes.  Advanced Vivarium Systems, Irvin, California.  Pp 232.

Kohler, Gunther. 2003. Reptiles of Central America.  Herpeton, Verlag Elke Kohler, Offenbach, Germany. Pp 367.

Mattison, Chris. 1995. Keeping and Breeding Snakes. Cassell Publishing, London, UK. Pp. 184.

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