Vietnamese Blue Beauty

Anyone know much about the very pretty Elaphe taeniura?

I'm just captivated by them and want to keep an eye out for a pair at the shows I'm going to soon. I'm assuming they're very similar in care/needs/husbandry to a corn and have read up a little on them but I would like to know from any of you who have experience with them what you think of them. Cheers, Adèle

i dont thing there care is the same as corns seeing that there not from north america, i also thing they get 7-8 mabey 9 ft. i know some 1 who has 1 so ill talk 2 them and ask them.

Thanks, but-

I appreciate your enthusiasm and will to help me but I'm actually asking for info from people who have owned them or have some kind of dirrect experience with the Asian Elaphe family. I've actually read a fair bit and I know they get bigger than corns, are generally a little less docile and a little more nippy, need higher humidity, especially as younsters, are slower to mature sexually, etc, but I want to hear from people who actually have owned them rather than reading stuff off the net or receiving regurgitated verbatim care sheets.

What are you looking to find out about them? I have 2.4 of the little buggers. I had always liked the way they looked but it was only after I picked up a huge 7 foot female for a friend at a show that I finaly got off my butt and got some.

Just general thoughts on them. Are they lovely to look at but better as pure display animals (like GTP's) rather than something you can 'play' with. Do they have more problems in certain areas than corns (ie RI's or egg binding), or are they pretty easy to keep?

I'm interested in them because I like their look and I now have some experience with NA Elaphe's and figured that branching a little into the Asian rats might be a good next step in my herpetocultural adventures! I have no desire to keep really large constrictors or venomous snakes and I think the slender proportions of the Elaphe family is more aestheticly pleasing than the short, fat lump of snake flesh in a ball python, etc.

Just looking for peoples personal thoughts on them.

I have a huge 9ft female taiwan beauty, she has a lovely temperment compared to my other one. they are like people some are different from others, plus i believe that any 'Beauty' can held wivout get bit...lol just dont grip them or hold them down, they hate that.

My female if lovely and i can handle her like a corn...lol


the only thing you might have a problem with is with the eggs, once they are ready to hatch. which i will be honest i have not yet done. but alot of "beauty" breeders say that you have to slightly pip the egg when its ready and time to hatch...(when the eggs start to sink in) beauty's have problems hatching, so a little helping hand give you a better chance of all of them hatching alive.

so this was any help

charlotte
xxxxxx

Thanks Charlotte,

There's a show on next weekend and I'm keeping an eye out for them there. Anyone else have anything to add?

Hello Adele,

I have the pleasure of owning the Vietnamese Blue Beauty, the male (shown) hatched in August '99.

This male was my first introduction to a larger, but equally slim, species. As a hatchling they are, by comparision to a corn, much larger with a rather daunting mouth gape! However, this individual has never shown aggression although it is easy to receive a tear in the skin if the lips brush past your hand.

As previously pointed out, each animal is an individual and careful handling as a youngster should produce an aimiable adult.

The species does have a reputation for aggression & I have owned a pair that were less captivating (particularly the female), however, these were purchased at a sub-adult stage & were not frequently handled by the previous owner.

Here is a photograph of the male:


He is an extremely popular attraction at the school talks:


Some teenagers are a little more confident than others.

Best of luck with your intended purchase.