Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor)

Common Name: Sunbeam Snake
Scientific Name: Xenopeltis unicolor
Source: WC
Adult Size: Typically 90–120cm (approximately 3–4ft)
Native Range: Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, the Philippines, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Sulawesi; found in forested, agricultural, and settled areas from lowlands up to around 1,400m elevation

Enclosure: A minimum 90×60×60cm Viperia PVC vivarium — this species is subfossorial (spending much of its time burrowing underground), so a deep, loose substrate such as coconut coir or a bioactive tropical mix is essential. Provide secure hides at both the warm and cool ends, and maintain a naturalistic, lightly planted setup to encourage natural behaviour.
Heating: Warm end ambient temperature of 28°C; cool end around 22–24°C; a modest night-time drop to 20–22°C is well tolerated and reflects natural conditions.
Humidity: 70–80%; achieved through regular light misting, a deep moisture-retaining substrate, and a well-sealed PVC enclosure that holds humidity effectively without becoming waterlogged.
UVB: A 2.4% UVB tube run along the vivarium's width — while sunbeam snakes are nocturnal (active at night) and spend much of their time underground, low-level UVB provision is still considered beneficial for overall health and natural day/night cycling.
Diet: Carnivorous; in the wild they eat frogs, skinks and other lizards, small rodents, and occasionally small birds. In captivity they typically accept defrosted mice or rat pinkies/fuzzies. Feed juveniles every 5–7 days and adults every 10–14 days, adjusting portion size to the snake's girth.

ABOUT THIS SPECIES

The sunbeam snake is one of the most visually striking serpents in the hobby — its smooth, tightly overlapping scales produce a vivid rainbow iridescence that has to be seen to be believed, shifting through the full spectrum of colours in direct light. Native to the lush forests and farmlands of Southeast Asia, this secretive, non-venomous snake leads a largely underground life, emerging after dark to hunt.

Sunbeam snakes are best appreciated as a display species rather than a hands-on pet; they can be defensive when unsettled and prefer a calm, undisturbed environment with plenty of substrate to burrow into. They are a rewarding choice for a keeper who enjoys building a naturalistic vivarium and observing a genuinely unusual animal on its own terms.