Introduction:
L. aurora is a beautiful (non-venomous) terrestrial constrictor endemic to South Africa. Mature animals have an average length of 40-60 cm but may reach up to 90 cm.
L. aurora is a secretive species, a nocturnal snake that may bask in the early mornings or late afternoons. and emerges at night to hunt rodents, being especially fond of nestlings. L. aurora is fairly rare and less common than some other species of house snakes.
The conservation status of L. aurora is “Least Concern”.
Housing:
The enclosure for my captive bred couple L. aurora is 120 cm wide, 35 cm deep and 30 cm high and can easily be divided into two separate enclosures without handling the animals. I use wood chips as substrate.
The decoration is sober; several hiding places are available including a plastic hiding box with moist sphagnum which they use frequently. A heating bulb in the corner creates a hot spot and a water bowl completes the interior.
Daytime is 26 degrees Celsius, night-time temperature drops to 18 degrees. In wintertime even a few degrees more.
Reproduction:
L. aurora is oviparous with litters of 8 to 12 eggs (35 -20 mm) the young are about 20 cm long. The female had her first litter at the age of 6 years.
* The mating period is from mid-March until the end of April.
* The gestation period is about 46 days.
* The eggs hatch after +/- 55 days in an incubator with the
temperature set at 29 degrees Celsius.
Care of Juveniles:
Escaping is a real threat because of their size. That is why I keep juveniles in a small plastic container within a crack-proof glass terrarium. The daytime temperature is 29 degrees, at night temperature drops to 20 degrees.
It is quite a challenge to get the juveniles starting to eat. I feed them parts of pre-killed one day old mice. Some start without hesitation after shedding, others refuse whatever you offer them ‘until death do us part’.
Once they are eating, you’ll have problem-free animals.
Use the button to download the care sheet in PDF: