Jackson's Tree Snakes

[Skiploder]

Just under 13 years ago I received my first 2.3 group of what are now probably my favorite species of snake. After battling intestinal parasites on my young imports for months (and finding two juvi dispholidus in the group) plus trying trial and error on husbandry, they eventually began to thrive and I got them to successfully mate 3 years later.

This was before the internet was a good way to get the word out on species care and also before the internet was an effective way to sell oddball snake species. So after two breedings and finding few takers, I decided to retire my group and keep them as pets.

This year I bred them again. I figured that seeing as my group was aging, it might be worth it to get some younger CB animals rolling. Two of my females produced a combined total of 19 eggs. Unfortunately, due to complications arising from surgery at the time one of the females was gravid, only 7 babies survived. I'm unsure at this time whether I will be selling some or keeping them all. All of my adult animals are pretty old..................maybe the next batch will be offered for sale.

I'm referring to Jackson's Tree Snakes, or Thrasops Jacksonii. A member of the dispholidine family. An animal at first glance that looks like a black boomslang and according Dr. Fry, packs a similar venom.

Luckily, they don't have the scary large rear double daggers that dispholidus do, nor the compressor muscles, which means that aren't nearly as dangerous. Still, they can make live prey bleed out in very short time.

I've never seen a care sheet available, so I'm going to post what I've learned in my time keeping these animals.

Description
:
Jackson’s Tree snakes are almost uniformly black in color, however they do not start out that way. Thrasops are born with green heads, and a black and green body. The belly on neonates is often black and light blue with a black with yellow spotted tail.

The first batch of animals I had imported in completely lost their juvenile coloration by their 16th month. Subsequent clutches went completely black anywhere from 13 to 17 months in age. Color change was completely independent of the length or weight of the animal. All have large eyes relative to the size of their heads with round, black pupils.

The average adult size of thrasops jacksonii is about 68” and 540 to 650 grams, depending on sex. Males are nominally larger.

Habitat:

Arboreal. Thrasops Jacksonii inhabit both tropical rain and mountain rain forests and are found at elevations from 1,200 to 6,500 feet above sea level. They are diurnal.

Temperature:
Thrasops need to be offered a basking spot in the neighborhood of 88 to 90 degrees for digestion. Non-digesting animals prefer to hang out in areas that are in the 75 to 77 degree range. I routinely let the bottom areas of my cages dip to the high 60s and low 70s at night.

These snakes naturally occur in humid areas and need relatively high humidity to maintain their health. I keep all of my thrasops between 65 and 75 percent humidity with higher spikes during shedding cycles.

It's important that in maintaining the required humidity levels, that proper ventilation is also supplied. I used CPU cooling fans and an automatic misting system to maintain both high humidity and high levels of ventilation.

These animals are prone to low humidity related bad sheds. They will often retain spectacles and unlike many other species, will actively attempt to rub the retained spectacles off. This can result in damage to the eye.

Diet and Digestion:
Jackson’s Tree Snakes are aggressive feeders that will consume multiple prey items at a sitting. Suitable diets for neonates include appropriate sized rodents and young quail pieces . Neonates can be tricky to get onto a rodent diet, but will readily take rodents dipped in chicken broth or scented with anoles or amphibian prey.

Adults can be maintained on average sized adult mice, quail and feeder anoles. As my animals have aged, I am finding almost a uniform predilection for fat deposits. These may be related to feeding them an all rodent diet. I am going to raise the next generation on a more naturally occurring diet to see if this is indeed a byproduct of an all-rodent diet.

Jackson’s Tree snakes have a quick metabolism and, if given a proper basking site, will digest prey within 48 hours.

I maintained my original group of adults on 3 to 4 small adult mice a week depending on size. Every three months or so, I varied their diet and would offer a run of quail, anoles or other reptilian prey.

Due to their aggressive feeding response and their toxic venom, Jackson’s Tree snakes should never been hand fed or handled within an hour of feeding – as they will remain in feed mode for an extended period of time.

Additionally, if keeping these animals in pairs, they should be fed in separate enclosures and kept apart for a minimum of an hour after feeding. While I have never observed intentional cannibalism, once on the scent of prey, these snakes will attack the head of anything that moves, including mates with whom the normally coexist peacefully.

Venom:
Thrasops Jacksonii are close cousins to both Thelatornis and Dispholidus and have been discovered to possess a similar hemorrhagic venom as their deadly cousins. Prey items are dispatched as quickly as 135 seconds, with blood streaming from eyes, the nose and the mouth. Unlike Thelatornis and Dispholidus, Thrasops have nominally enlarged rear fangs and therefore can be safely handled with gloves and long sleeves. While most individuals are not prone to biting in self-defense, some exceptions can be more aggressive and they are extremely aggressive in their feeding responses. They should be handled and treated with extreme respect and never by children or inexperienced handlers.

Being arboreal, they do not ride a hook like other animals and can quickly turn direction and ride up a handle. They are incredibly aware of changes to their surrounding and will often track multiple people or animals. Oftentimes just changing the position of a water dish or a branch will result in several days of agitated behavior.

They are also incredibly fast and until accustomed to being handled, will seek to escape with amazing speed and agility.

Behavior:
Thrasops are inquisitive and relatively intelligent animals. They are acutely aware of changes to their surroundings and as previously noted, may initially stress easy when even small items in their enclosures are changes.

With gentle and patient handling, they quickly become accustomed to human interaction, but will remain wary of new people and new surroundings.

When agitated, they will give a horizontal neck display and open their mouths – almost exactly like their cousin, the boomslang.

Housing:
I keep all of my adults in pairs. Cages for adult pairs are 36” wide, by 30” deep by 48” tall. A radiant heat panel that is almost as wide as the cage supplies heat. Branches, and artificial foliage are used for climbing and hollow cork branches and birdhouses are used as hides. I used aspen or pine substrate, but coconut coir can also be used.

At a height of 4’, a 120-watt RHP provides a 90 degrees basking site 9” from the panel and a daytime temp of 74 degrees at the bottom of the enclosure.

Lone adults are kept in 3x2x2 cages. Again, climbing perches are used, but these animals will also cruise the floor of their cages.

Shedding
:
Thrasops Jacksonii shed their black skins on a 5 to 6 week average. As stated earlier, property humidity must be maintained as retained eye caps are a problem with this species.

Thrasops have been described as having a celery or anise scent to them – this intensifies after a shed.

Breeding:


This species will mate with little provocation – usually turning off their over head heat for three to four weeks will get them in the mood. I wait until my females are about 54” long and at least 450 grams before I turn off the heat.

Pairs will copulate off and on for up to five days. 7 weeks after a successful mating the female will deposit her eggs in her arboreal hide box.

I incubate the eggs at 80 to 82 degrees for 80 to 88 days.

I have had little success having uninitiated animals copulate or even calm down around each other. This is one species that will breed easier if kept together year round.

Females will prefer to lay in an arboreal hide. I use either small birdhouses or lidded CD cases with a hole cut in them. If the hide is offered in and area of the enclosure in which the temperature is between 80 and 82 degrees, the female should have no issues retaining eggs.

Some of my animals:

Typical home made adult (pair) enclosure - unfinished:

[ballpythonluvr]

Now those my friend are some awesome looking snakes!

[stratus_020202]

Those are amazing. Their eye's are almost bigger than their head. Beautiful creatures. How big do they get, lenth wise? Can't wait to see some baby pics

[Skiploder]

Those are amazing. Their eye's are almost bigger than their head. Beautiful creatures. How big do they get, lenth wise? Can't wait to see some baby pics

My biggest male is about 74" long.

[stratus_020202]

My biggest male is about 74" long.

So, the males are bigger? Interesting. I see in the one picture, one has a more brown head, and the others is black. Is that a male/female characteristic?

[Skiploder]

So, the males are bigger? Interesting. I see in the one picture, one has a more brown head, and the others is black. Is that a male/female characteristic?

There are some slight color variations from animal to animal. One of my males has a greyish belly and one of my females has silvery highlights...........

People accustomed to boids are often surprised that in many other species, such as cribos, thrasops, pseustes etc, the males are larger than the females.

My largest black tailed cribo male is about 12 pounds. He's 1/3rd again larger than my largest female at the same age. Similarly, may largest yellow tail is about 18" longer than the largest female of a comparable age.

[Lucas339]

great post. interesting animals.

[Simple Man]

Thanks for the great read and pictures! Very cool.

Regards,

B

[Aes_Sidhe]

Great Post very informative.. I wish more people could post here they personal experiences with different species like that.

BIG KUDOS !!!

P.S. This is Sticky Worthy !!!!!

[SpartaDog]

Wow, the formation and orientation of the scales is incredible. It looks almost like they're strung around the snake and dangle freely. Very cool.