Horned Adder (Bitis caudalis) - Captive care
Horned adders occur throughout a spectrum of habitat types and climatic conditions and a cage setup should replicate the specific locality from which the snake originates. For example Horned Adders from Gauteng spend much time on rocky hillsides while Horned Adders from Swakopmund, Namibia can be found in coastal sandy conditions.
It would be fair to say that the majority of all Horned adders in captivity originate from 4 main localities, Limpopo Province, Northern Cape, Southern Namibia and Coastal Namibia. Other localities such as the Karoo, Gauteng, Botswana and Northern Namibia are significantly less common in captivity.
Limpopo Province, RSA
By far the most commonly kept and bred of all Horned Adder localities are those from the Limpopo province. These are hardy snakes which breed fairly easily. They do well on a sandy substrate with dried leaf litter for cover. Adults mate in winter and babies are born in Spring. These are small and should be fed on small lizards until large enough to eat a pink mouse.
Care should be taken when housing these together as they can be cannibalistic.
Northern Cape Province, RSA
In general, Horned Adders from the Northern Cape do not do as well as most other localities, with males being particularly difficult. They are prone to stress related illnesses and may be reluctant to make the switch to feeding on rodents. That said there are a handful of keepers who are having breeding success, with some reporting mating in Winter and others in Spring with babies born in Summer and Autumn. Babies are typically started on lizards.
These snakes should be kept hot and dry and should be provided with loose sand into which they readily shuffle.
Southern Namibia
Horned Adders from this region do well in a warm and dry desert type enclosure. They occur on the sandy flats between mountains moving between shrubs, shuffling into the loose soil at their base where they wait to ambush prey.
Babies often feed on pink mice from the start.
Coastal Namibia
Being from the coast these snakes require slightly lower temperatures and higher humidity levels than any of the other localities. They will readily drink water off their own bodies when misted, doing this in the enclosure helps to maintain humidity levels. They primarily move between bushes and down burrows so sandy soil is a must with scattered shrubbery and sparse rock.
Like most Horned Adders these babies are raised on lizards at first before accepting rodents.
Please note: This information serves only as a suggestion and is based on input from various experienced keepers. It is important that you gather as much info from various sources before deciding how best to care for your snake. Be sure to check with your local authorities what permits may be required in your area.