You’re staring into a glass terrarium at something that looks like it was carved out of polished onyx. It’s small. It’s sleek. It has these incredible, cat-like eyes that seem way too intelligent for a reptile. Most people getting into the hobby lunge straight for a Ball Python or a Corn Snake, but then there's the African house snake black variant—specifically the jet-black beauties often coming out of localities like Ethiopia or specialized captive breeding lines. They aren't just "starter snakes." They are arguably the most underrated colubrids on the planet.
Why?
Because they're basically the Labradors of the snake world, just dressed in a Goth aesthetic.
What Exactly Is an African House Snake Black?
When we talk about an African house snake black, we’re usually referring to Boaedon fuliginosus or Boaedon lineatus, though the taxonomy of these guys is a total mess that keeps herpetologists up at night. For a long time, everything was just labeled fuliginosus, but recent DNA work suggests we've been looking at a massive complex of different species. The "black" ones aren't always a specific "morph" in the way a Purple Passion Ball Python is; often, they are locality-specific animals.
Take the Ethiopian black house snake. These aren't just dark brown; they are deep, midnight black from birth. Other "black" house snakes might start out a charcoal grey and darken as they age, eventually hitting that high-gloss obsidian look after a few years of shedding. It’s a process. You’ve got to be patient.
They stay manageable. A big female might hit four feet, but she’ll be slender. Males? They’re tiny. Sometimes barely fourteen inches. It’s a hilarious size difference. If you put a full-grown male next to a hefty female, it looks like a "take your kid to work" day.
The Temperament: Better Than Your Average Python
I’ve kept a lot of snakes. Corn snakes can be flighty. King snakes might try to eat your thumb because they think everything is a mouse. But the African house snake black is weirdly chill.
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They have this reputation for being "nippy" as hatchlings. Okay, sure. When you’re six inches long and everything in the world wants to eat you, you’re going to be defensive. But once they realize you aren't a hawk, they settle down faster than almost any other species. They have a prehensile tail, too. When they’re on your hand, they wrap that tail around your finger like a little anchor. It feels secure. They aren't constantly trying to throw themselves off your arm in a suicidal leap like some colubrids do.
Setting Up the Obsidian Palace
Don't overcomplicate this. People love to spend $500 on "smart" humidifiers and complex lighting rigs, but house snakes earned their name for a reason. In Africa, they live in the rafters of houses. They live under porches. They are incredibly hardy.
Heat and Light
They need a gradient. Give them a warm spot around 88-90°F. The cool side can drop into the mid-70s. Honestly, they’re pretty forgiving, but if you want them to thrive and show off that iridescent sheen on their black scales, give them a low-output UVB bulb. It’s not "strictly" necessary for survival, but it makes that black pigment pop like a fresh wax job on a muscle car.
Substrate and Humidty
I’ve seen people keep them on paper towels. It works, but it’s ugly. Use coco husk or a topsoil mix. These snakes love to burrow. If you give them three inches of substrate, you might not see them for a day or two because they’re busy living their best subterranean life. Keep the humidity around 40-60%. If it gets too bone-dry, they’ll have a bad shed, and nothing looks worse than a beautiful African house snake black covered in crusty, unshed grey patches.
The Feeding Frenzy
If there is one thing you need to know about these snakes, it's that they are absolute garbage disposals.
Hunger is their primary personality trait.
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I’ve never had a house snake refuse a meal unless it was literally in the middle of shedding its skin. They have a massive metabolism compared to heavy-bodied pythons. You feed a Ball Python, and it sleeps for two weeks. You feed an African house snake black, and three days later it’s at the front of the glass looking at you like, "Is that all you got?"
Because they grow fast, they need consistent fuel. Small mice for the females, and honestly, the males might stay on "fuzzies" or "hoppers" their entire lives. Just watch their weight. Because they're so food-motivated, it's easy to turn them into a sausage with scales. If you can't see the definition of their spine and they look like an overstuffed bratwurst, back off the feedings.
Common Misconceptions and Troubleshooting
There's this myth that house snakes are "boring."
People think because they aren't "designer snakes" with a thousand different morphs like Reticulated Pythons, they aren't worth the shelf space. That’s nonsense. The iridescent glow on a jet-black house snake is actually more impressive than most high-end morphs. When the light hits them, they shimmer with rainbows—it’s called structural coloration.
Another issue? Identifying the sex.
You cannot eyeball it when they are babies. You just can't. You need someone who knows how to "pop" or "probe" them. If you buy a "pair" from a random expo breeder, don't be surprised if you end up with two males who just glare at each other.
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And let's talk about the "Black" label. True melanistic house snakes exist, but a lot of what is sold as African house snake black is actually just a very dark Boaedon capensis. Does it matter? Not for a pet. But if you're planning to breed them, you need to know your localities. Mixing an Ethiopian black with a dark South African capensis is a big no-no in the serious hobbyist community. It muddies the genetics. Keep it clean.
Why This Snake Beats the Competition
- Space: You can keep a happy adult in a 20-gallon long tank or a 24-inch PVC enclosure. Try doing that with a female Red Tail Boa.
- Hardiness: They don't go on hunger strikes. If your room temperature drops five degrees, they don't instantly get a respiratory infection and die.
- Aesthetics: A black snake on white substrate or bright green moss looks incredible. It’s high-contrast. It’s modern.
- Lifespan: These guys can live 15 to 20 years. This is a long-term commitment, not a disposable pet.
Finding Your Own Black House Snake
Don't just go to a big-box pet store. They won't have them. You’ll find a sad, dehydrated Corn Snake and maybe a Leopard Gecko.
Instead, look for specialized breeders on platforms like MorphMarket or at regional reptile expos. Look for names like Erik Tiiber or specialized colubrid breeders who focus on African species. Ask for photos of the parents. If the parents are charcoal grey, the babies will likely be charcoal. If you want that true "Vantablack" look, you want to see parents that look like shadows.
Expect to pay a premium for the black ones. While a standard brown house snake might be $60, a high-quality African house snake black can fetch anywhere from $150 to $400 depending on the specific locality and age.
Practical Steps for the Aspiring Keeper
If you're ready to pull the trigger on one of these dark beauties, don't just wing it. Start by securing the enclosure at least a week before the snake arrives. Dial in those temperatures. A common mistake is buying the snake and the heat mat on the same day, then realizing your thermostat is wonky while the snake is sitting in a shipping box.
Get a digital infrared thermometer (a temp gun). Don't trust those sticky analog dials that go on the side of the glass; they’re notoriously wrong. Once the snake arrives, let it settle. Do not hold it. Do not show it to your friends. Do not try to take "clout" photos for Instagram. Give it a full week of darkness and silence. Feed it once. If it eats, wait another 48 hours for digestion, and then—finally—you can start the taming process.
The African house snake black is a masterpiece of evolution. It’s a sleek, efficient, and strikingly beautiful predator that fits in a small apartment and doesn't demand much more than a mouse a week and a clean bowl of water. In a world of flashy, over-bred morphs, there is something deeply cool about a snake that just sticks to the basics: pure, shimmering black.
Focus on sourcing from a captive-bred producer rather than an importer to avoid parasite issues. Check the vent for any signs of "scale rot" if the substrate was kept too wet during shipping. Once you have a healthy one established, you'll quickly realize why people who get one house snake usually end up with five. They're addictive.
Essential Checklist for New Owners
- Enclosure: Minimum 20-gallon equivalent for adults; smaller for hatchlings to prevent stress.
- Thermal Gradient: 90°F hot spot, 75°F cool side, controlled by a reliable thermostat.
- Hides: At least two—one on the hot side, one on the cool side. They need to feel invisible.
- Water: Fresh, chlorine-free water in a heavy bowl they can't tip over.
- Patience: Let the snake dictate the pace of handling. Trust is earned, not grabbed.