Except fot the 3 obvious rows, all other scales on the Dragon Snake are minute.
Even to those among us who realized that the Dragon Snake, Xenodermus javanicus, existed, it was a species shrouded in mystery. The only detailed account of the species that I had seen were a couple of dozen sentences in John Coburn’s “The Atlas of Snakes of the World” published in 1991 by TFH. But even this was a bit incomplete. And although that volume was replete with photos, a photo of the “Dragon Snake” was sadly lacking.

But now let’s jump forward a couple of decades.

Dragon Snakes are no longer a species known only to a few taxonomists and herpetologists. This strange little nonvenomous snake is now occasionally available in the pet trade. They are still rather high-priced, but they are available. They do not appear to be super-hardy, but that may well be a case of conditions at the collecting and holding facility and/or parasitism. As usual, articles have now been written, some conflicting, but all ostensibly in the best interest of what is now thought of as an interesting snake that requires rather exacting captive conditions. This is my effort. Don’t hesitate to look elsewhere for additional or different information.

A few details here: It is certainly understandable why the dragon snake was overlooked for so many years. It is pretty much a brownish to charcoal snake—a mud-colored snake, if you will---that is nocturnal and that spends the daylight hours in creek-side burrows. They are very slender and seem to be slow moving. There is sexual dimorphism, the males being a slim 16-20 inches long and the females being a bit stouter and adult at 24 to 32 inches.

Most records are from the southeastern Malay Peninsula at elevations from sea level to about 4400 feet. This may account for some articles recommending captive temperatures of 72 to 75F. However, if records are correct, the dragon snakes now available to American hobbyists are being collected and shipped from low elevations in Java where temperatures are warmer. These snakes seem to do well at the higher room temperatures commonly found in North Florida.

Despite the 3 rows of strongly tuberculate scales on the dorsum, the skin of Xenodermus is delicate. The sides are finely scaled with much interstitial skin showing between. This is also so of the skin between the 3 rows of tuberculate dorsal scales. This skin tears easily. Use care when handling. According to keepers this snake is also very prone to moisture blisters and requires a moist subsurface but a dry surface. Success has been had with sphagnum, pads of artificial turf, and treefern trunk substrates. If frightened, including handling, rather than gliding away as most other snakes would do, the little xenoderm often becomes motionless and rigid, then resembling a twig more than a living animal.

Although dragon snakes are known to eat minnows of small size, it seems that they are preferentially a frog eater. This has been shown it seems by the readiness of most (if not all) to accept tiny treefrogs and greenhouse frogs while some refuse minnows. Care must be exercised by the keeper to assure that the prey items are not too large or that the snake is not unduly disturbed after eating, lest regurgitation occur.

If you have the facilities and time this might be a good snake to experiment a bit with. Please keep us posted. We’d all like to know how you attained your success.