Fun House Snake Facts For Kids

The House snake is a reptile class of different snake varieties that range from the African brown house snake to the various range of colors from shaded, striped, to solid colors. The brown house snake is classified as a wild creature that is sexually dimorphic.

African house snakes are found across the Sub-Saharan region in a wide variety of habitats. Some adult species are well adapted to living in burrows.

This snake species are often nervous but are not prone to biting, therefore are harmless. Their first defensive reaction is to flee when they come to light. They are frequently found around human dwellings.

They are prolific breeders and lay clutches of up to 16 eggs that hatch after around two months of incubation. African house snakes are common in the exotic trade.

These brown house snakes are nocturnal and go into hibernation or sleep during the light of the day. They can store their sperm and lay up to six clutches per year in captivity, but this rarely happens in nature.

Hatchlings are 5-7 in (12.7-17.8 cm) upon hatching. The brown house snake's main diet consists of rodents, and in captivity, smaller snakes prey on mice and lizards until they are powerful enough to catch rats.

Large female African house snakes are known to occasionally eat weanling rats. Adult African house snakes get fed weekly on lizards and in rare cases, they will catch small bats. Hatchlings may eat small lizards such as skinks, lizards, and newborn mice.

In captivity, they can successfully be fed on geckos tails. One must feed these African house snakes separately as their violent feeding response may cause cannibalism.

For more relatable content, check out these kingsnake facts and copperhead snake facts for kids.

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House Snake Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a house snake?

The brown house snake is an African house snake, which is a type of snake species, from the genus Lamprophis. They are commonly found in human settlements and are most abundant in the African region.

What class of animal does a house snake belong to?

The African house snake species belongs to the class of reptile, from the genus of Lamprophis or related Fuliginosus and Capensis, and family of Lamprophiidae

How many house snakes are there in the world?

The total population of this animal across the world is unknown. A great number of them are found in southern Africa.

Where does a house snake live?

This brown house snake species lives in the natural areas of scrubland, woodland, savannah, and montane regions. They are also commonly found in human habitats, especially in African houses.

In Africa, they are greatly present both in the wild and in human settlements. Many times those living near the wild are often visited by these snakes which is also dangerous for households with kids.

What is a house snake's habitat?

An African house snake reptile's habitat can be found around humans settlements where a snak can be seen feeding on rodents. They congregate around human waste and are harmless. A brown house snake is known to be adaptable and can be found in scrubland, woodland, savannah, and montane regions across South Africa, Asia, and America.

Who do house snakes live with?

A brown house snake (Boaedon) is solitary in nature. They come together only to mate and hibernate and hunt.

How long does a house snake live?

An African house snake average life span is between 10-25 years. Those in captivity are believed to live longer than in the wild if given proper care and fed properly.

How do they reproduce?

After two months of mating, females lay up to 16 eggs during summer in most cases. Eggs generally take between 60-75 days to hatch.

Hatchlings vary in size, between 6-10 in (15.2-25.4 cm). They shed within a week and they are ready for their first meal. Youngs of this reptile class feeds on insects and start fending for themselves within a month.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of these animals is of Least Concern. They have a stable population and proper care for their protection is not needed by wildlife reserves currently. In certain regions, they have been traded as exotic pets which might lead to a decrease in the population at some point in time.

House Snake Fun Facts

What do house snakes look like?

They can range from black, brown, tan, great, shiny metallic skin colors of aurora with scaly skin on their body. They are less than 35.4 in (90 cm) long.

Many variants found in South Africa are all physically related and similar. They are mostly present in houses between the mats or in eaves, and in the wild, they are spread across the Sub-Saharan region. A brown house snake is not that long in length, compared to other species of snakes.

There are different types of house snakes which people domesticate as pets, while some are dangerous and feared. The physical features also differ from one species to another, however, brown color is the most common of all.

How cute are they?

Snakes are not adored and loved by many as people find them scary and creepy. A brown house snake is not so adorable, but compared to other venomous animals, they are slightly cute for a snake.

They are shiny or metallic, and to many, they may look beautiful. To others, they look dangerous as snakes can be venomous. However, some people raise and keep them as pets.

How do they communicate?

They communicate by collecting, leaving, and analyzing pheromones from the body in the wild. However, little is known about how snakes communicate in general.

How big is a house snake?

Compared to other snake species like the python and the rattlesnake, this class of snakes is quite small and short in length. They are around 30 in (76.2 cm) in length which is 10 times smaller than a striped racer.

How fast can a house snake move?

They are swift animals and can move quite fast. However, their speed is not that great compared to other species of snakes as they have smaller body lengths.

How much does a house snake weigh?

They weigh around 8.8 oz (250 g) which is quite small if compared to other types of snakes.

What are the male and female names of the species?

No specific names have been given to a male and female of these snakes.

What would you call a baby house snake?

Babies of the house snake are generally called hatchlings or snakelets.

What do they eat?

An African house snake follows a purely carnivorous diet. They feed on frogs, lizards, birds, mice, rats, squirrels, rodents, and big insects. Those raised as pets are often fed with rats or mice and other small animals. It is quite difficult to raise them for many people as they require a meaty diet.

Are they poisonous?

No, they are not poisonous and are harmless to humans. It is best to avoid wild ones as they can strike or bite you if they feel threatened, even though they may not have poison.

In African and Australian regions, these snake intruders in human settlements are known to have bitten many people. Even though they are not poisonous compared to other snakes species, one must avoid them if they happen to come into contact with the wild ones.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they will make a good pet but not many domesticate them due to the fear of snakes.

Did you know...

They have eyes on their head but they are covered with translucent scales which renders them almost completely blind.

What are the different types of house snake?

The different types of snakes which can be found or petted in homes include the corn snake, California kingsnake, rosy boa, gopher, ball python, rat snake, and carpet python. Each of these species have different coloration, features, and physical descriptions.

Why are they called house snakes?

As these reptiles are found mostly in human houses or settlements, particularly in Africa and in some other regions, they are known as house snakes.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles from our Burmese python facts and king cobra facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable House snake coloring pages.