The World Of Atheris - Captive Husbandry

Bush vipers are beginning to be bred in captivity by more herpetoculturists particularly Atheris chlorechis and A. squamigera. Offspring from wild bred imports also appear on dealer's lists from time to time. Some species are still only available as wild caught and are available from dealers who carry venomous snakes. Check the kingsnake.com classifieds or the viper and venomous forum pages for both private keepers/breeders and importers/dealers. See my links page for some herpetoculturists who may have available offspring.

Wild caught adults may be heavily parasitized and/or dehydrated and may require veterinary care. East African specimens are commonly parasitized by lung and heart worms. I am not a veterinarian and am not going to recommend treatment here. If you are buying wild caught animals ask the dealer whether they have been "wormed" and ask for recommendations for treatment that you can discuss with your reptile vet or experienced bush viper keepers. I know individuals who routinely "worm" their imports with great success, while others worry about the risk of improper medication or the complications associated with large numbers of dying parasites in the digestive tracts or body cavities of the snakes. If you are going to keep venomous snakes in captivity you will need to find a veterinarian that will work with you. Contact local zoos, herpetological societies, and herpetoculturists for their recommendations. While some vets may not allow you to bring your specimens to their office - you may be able to bring a fresh stool sample in for testing and obtain prescriptions based on this analysis. Only very experienced individuals should administer the drugs to reduce risk of being bitten and avoid harm to snake.

All new arrivals must be quarantined from existing collection upon arrival for observation and evaluation. A period of at least 30 days, but preferably 60-90 days or more is recommended. I would strongly consider quarantining even captive born animals since they may have been exposed to other specimens prior to arrival. Fresh imports obviously require the strictest quarantine guidelines and maximum quarantine time.

Quarantined animals must be housed in a completely separate room or area with its own set of husbandry tools and equipment. Make sure you always service your existing collection first - prior to entering the quarantine area. Do not return to the non-quarantined animals unless you have been thoroughly disinfected and showered. Cages should be simply furnished with a paper towel or newspaper substrate. Adequate shelter in the form of hiding places and silk (or plastic) plant cover should be provided. Cage must be maintained at the appropriate temperature and humidity and animals should be left alone except when necessary to minimize stress. After allowing each specimen to 'settle in' for several days or more, an evaluation of condition and, if possible, an analysis of their feces should be performed. Appropriate action or treatment can then begin. Keep cages as clean as possible and disinfect with a dilute bleach solution. Disposable hide boxes and water bowls are preferred and can be discarded frequently. Make sure to thoroughly disinfect the holding cage or bucket that was used to house snake while its cage is cleaned before placing another specimen inside.

When quarantine is finally complete and you add your new animal(s) to your main collection make sure you observe animals and conditions frequently. It is a good idea to maintain a lesser degree of quarantine for an additional period by using dedicated forceps and hooks, etc. for new animals when possible.

Viperids are particularly susceptible to infection by OPMV, ophidian paramyxovirus, a particularly insidious killer. This is an extremely dangerous virus which can easily decimate an entire collection. For information on OPMV please click HERE. This page is from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

There is some degree of sexual dimorphism in this genus. Females are usually larger, heavier bodied, and have shorter tails. Some external evidence of hemipenes may be observed with males. Probing should only be done by two experienced individuals using a restraining tube. See Handling section below.

Cages for captive bush vipers should be well ventilated while allowing for sufficient humidity. Aquariums are used by many keepers as are large plastic sweater boxes with drilled holes and/or screened cut-outs for ventilation. Aquariums can be stood on end for extra cage height and a custom "top" made to create a side or front door. The molded plastic small arboreal cages made by a couple of manufacturers are also good. Smaller specimens can be housed in smaller sweater boxes or pet shop plastic terrariums. It is very important that the cages be secure and lockable with absolutely no chance for escape. Rooms that hold snake cages should be kept locked and have a threshold that will not allow your smallest snake to exit from snake room.

Most keepers use live or silk plants and wood branches for cover and perches. Several perches and hiding places should used so that the snake can utilize this cover at both the warm and cool ends of cage. Live plants will help with humidity, but silk plants are certainly easier to maintain and can look fairly attractive. Since bush vipers are fairly inactive and eat and defecate infrequently a very attractive natural vivarium may be created with minimal effort. Substrate may be as simple as newspaper or paper towels or an attractive natural product such as sterilized fir bark or wood mulch can be used. Water bowls should be provided even though many, if not most, specimens will not drink from a dish.

Many herpetoculturists feel that UV lighting is important for these vipers. They certainly don't require the special lighting important for many lizards and chelonians, but use of the milder UV fluorescent bulbs available from reptile supply companies is probably beneficial. They certainly will help any live plants that you might include in the cage. Many keepers also use a small incandescent bulb for a basking 'hot' spot which some bush vipers will use. Lights should be controlled with timers to simulate the changing seasons' photoperiod. Manipulation of this photoperiod may be helpful in inducing breeding. It should also be noted here that light can be a source of stress to many nocturnal reptiles and there are quite a few keepers out there who do not use light and are very successful. If you do you use light make sure there is a very dark area in cage your snake can retreat to.

If a basking lamp is used it should be placed at one end of cage to allow for a thermal gradient. Depending on the room temperature the lighting may be all that is required for adequate daytime temperatures. Mylar heat tape can be used below the tank for additional heat. Although arboreal snakes probably benefit less from the substrate heat provided by heat tape than terrestrial species will, most specimens will spend considerable time on or near the ground and most smaller cages will be sufficiently heated from beneath. I recommend the use of a thermostat and a second thermometer to monitor correct temperatures and prevent overheating. Some keepers control the environment of the entire snake room rather than the individual enclosures using heaters (or air conditioners) and humidifiers.

Temperature ranges should be closely monitored and should take the species into consideration. Bush vipers require only moderate heat. It is probably better to err on the cooler side. Animals which are kept too warm may become very inactive and are at greater risk to the complications of obesity. Atheris chlorechisand A. squamigera can be kept in the high 70 s to low 80 s with a maximum of about 85 F, while the montane species such as Atheris ceratophora and A. desaixi will require temps in the low to mid 70 s with a maximum of 78 F or so. Montane species may adapt to slightly warmer temperatures if humidity is sufficient. A nighttime drop is recommended for all species. This is when they will become most active and receive beneficial exercise.

Moderate to moderately high humidity is recommended for bush vipers and most keepers mist frequently to raise humidity. This also offers the snakes an opportunity to drink naturally since most will not drink from a water dish. However, water bowls should still be placed in cage - at the very least it will increase the humidity. During misting some animals will tilt down their heads and drink water that has collected on their body or may place snout against plant or wood and drink as water pools. You may find that misting will make the animals active and they might not drink right away. I like to mist my cages in 'two rounds' and find that more snakes start drinking on the second round. Distilled water is used by some to eliminate water spots on the glass. I highly recommend this. It will keep your glass, plants, and animals clean. More elaborate misting systems or drip systems are used by a few herpetoculturists. I like to spray cages mid-day and use an IV bag or a plastic cup with a few pinholes in bottom and set on top of screen top as a simple but effective drip system. If you are concerned about a snake that you have not seen drink during misting, you might want to consider using a syringe to inject a little lukewarm water into dead feeder animal as mentioned in Feeding section below. Humidity can also be raised by using waterfalls (I use ZooMed's ReptiRapids) in larger vivaria or by using cool mist humidifiers in snake rooms (especially at drier times of the year).

Some keepers report problems with Atheris squamigera, especially juveniles, from excessive humidity or moisture. This species should be kept somewhat drier. Care should be taken to ensure that the enclosure is well ventilated and has a chance to dry out before nightfall.

Although many bush vipers feed on a variety of amphibians, lizards, and small mammals in the wild, many captives will readily accept appropriately sized dead mice in captivity - even thawed frozen off tongs. The biggest problem is that many baby bush vipers are too small for even a day old pinkie mouse. If this is the case, heads and other parts of a dead pink can often be used. It is best to give considerable effort to getting the neonate to consume rodents or rodent parts, rather than risk the parasite problem of using frogs or lizards. If you happen to have a source for captive born reed frogs great, but it is more likely that patience and perseverance will get even the most difficult feeder onto a mouse diet.

Stubborn neonates can often be enticed to take a newborn mouse or mouse part by teasing. This can be as simple as gently tapping the food item upon the tail of snake using long forceps and then immediately holding in front of head. In more extreme cases continued touching of food item to mouth of snake to illicit a defensive posture and subsequent strike may be successful. This is obviously a source of stress to the snake and should be done gently and with care. Usually the snake will strike several times and eventually hold onto mouse. It is important to hold still and gently release food item so that the mouse isn't rejected. Take a deep breath and move slowly. If you continue to have difficulty call the breeder or dealer immediately for suggestions. If necessary try small parts or head of a pinkie. A small meal that will fit easily inside the snake's mouth will often allow them to hold on swallow following a strike rather than attempting to void from mouth. The longer the neonate is allowed to go without eating the less strength they will have to cope with the stressful teasing or assist feeding that will be required.

Scenting rodents with frogs or lizards can also induce a problem feeder to eat. Some keepers use cut frogs (green tree frogs or similar, not toads!) and place a washed pink mouse or its head in a plastic bag with the frog for some time before feeding.

Once a snake is feeding well the second problem is not overfeeding. These snakes are very inactive and are particularly susceptible to fatty liver disease and other complications of obesity. Defecation should be monitored closely and increased humidity or soakings should be used to encourage waste elimination if necessary. Most juveniles can be fed every one to two weeks and large adults every three weeks, but these are only general guidelines. It is recommended that small food items be used. A mouse large enough to leave a distinctive bulge in the snake may be regurgitated. It is best to err on the small side when choosing feeder rodents. Bush vipers have slow metabolisms and growth rate. You must resist the temptation to grow your babies too quickly.

It should go without saying that live rodents should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Even a venomous snake may be seriously injured or killed by a live food item confined in the same cage.

Some keepers report injecting the dead mice with some water before offering to their bush vipers to make sure that their bush vipers have sufficient hydration. See Humidity and Hydration in Housing section above.

For more information on the diet of Atherini species including reports of cannibalism click here.

Captive breeding of bush vipers is often the result of manipulation of the humidity and frequency of misting to simulate the wet and dry season cycle they would experience in their natural environment. As mentioned above, adjusting the photoperiod may also be beneficial. The African winter is in July and August and some snakes may refuse food during this time. Wild mating would mainly occur in the months that follow (September to November). Young would normally be born in March and April. Most females imported gravid have given birth at this time (Freed 1986, Love 1987). Some herpetoculturists have been able to induce mating at other times of year by creating their own wet and dry seasons. A two to three month period of reduced misting and humidity followed by introduction of the sexes and heavy misting has been successful. Gestation periods are normally five to seven months. It is recommended that you remove males and house females by themselves once you are sure they are gravid. There have been numerous reports of gravid females becoming very aggressive and killing their cagemates.

Allen Hunter's Venom 101 is an especially good site that contains a wealth of instruction and information on venomous snakes and their handling and care.