Strange behavior in C. albolabris?

Hi guys!
I have a young male C. albolabris (about 55cm TL) for almost a year now. In september I rehoused him to a larger enclosure (60 x 40 x 30 (H x L x l)). 3 days ago I have observed what I would call a strange behavior for this species. He has made a hole in the potting soil at the bottom of the background and spends a lot of time hidden there. During the day he climbs on the background and plants I have provided for him and during the night he goes down on the substrate and stays in the "burrow". At least that is where I have found him the last times I woke up. Temperatures are around 25-26 C during the day and 21-22 C during the night.
I can't think of anything that can cause this sudden shift in behavior and I don't know if it is normal or something to be worried about, so I am hoping for some answers from more experienced keepers on this board so I can better evaluate the situation.
So, has anyone noticed this kind of behavior in white-lipped tree vipers or related species?

Regards,
Tiberiu!

Hi!

Do you use a heatpad or cable under terrarium or in substrate that make bottom more
hotter then rest of terrarium and thats why your C.albolabris go there to get more heat?

BR, Johan

Hello! I am not using any heating under the terrarium. The only heat is the one radiating from the fluorescent lighting fixture on top of the terrarium.
Maybe the substrate remains hotter than the rest of the terrarium during the night or it radiates heat from decomposing vegetable matter - I use unfertilized peat moss as substrate?

He may be seeking higher humidity levels from the soil so as to aid him shed for example. What are your humidity readings?

Humidity is about 75-80% during the day and drops to about 70% during the night.

Guest

Perhaps because it is going into winter now, without the aid of any other heat sources at night it is a bit cold?

For my aboreal species I have heat mat on the side of the RUB's, although these are Boiga & Rough greens not Albolabris... but I will not let the temps for Boiga drop below 24.

From what I have read 24-26 is about right for albolabris during the day and a drop to 22-24 during the night. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong?

TiberiuSahly wrote:: Hi guys!
I have a young male C. albolabris (about 55cm TL) for almost a year now. In september I rehoused him to a larger enclosure (60 x 40 x 30 (H x L x l)). 3 days ago I have observed what I would call a strange behavior for this species. He has made a hole in the potting soil at the bottom of the background and spends a lot of time hidden there. During the day he climbs on the background and plants I have provided for him and during the night he goes down on the substrate and stays in the "burrow". At least that is where I have found him the last times I woke up. Temperatures are around 25-26 C during the day and 21-22 C during the night.
I can't think of anything that can cause this sudden shift in behavior and I don't know if it is normal or something to be worried about, so I am hoping for some answers from more experienced keepers on this board so I can better evaluate the situation.
So, has anyone noticed this kind of behavior in white-lipped tree vipers or related species?

Regards,
Tiberiu!

Interesting... I can't answer this question specifically, but I could offer a couple of suggestions that might be worth considering. First, the specimen may be simply trying to thermoregulate itself down to a lower, more comfortable temperature. Second, perhaps the ambient light in the area of the cage in the evenings is such that the specimen is trying find a darker, more comfortable location in which to rest. Some photographs, if possible, of this behaviour might be helpful... Hopefully, a keeper with more direct experience with this species will provide a better explaination... Sincerely, Jon Davidson .

I have observe this in albolabris too. After some months the change theire mind and climb up again on the branches. Maby something has chnage and I has not observere annything!
I see this sometimes in my P. ,,fucata´´ from Langkawi and in my C. fasciatus. C. fasciatus I found sometimes on the ground under the leaves in there Vivarium! A female was there for 3-4 weeks, then it shedds there skin, and now she´s in a hole of an branch. The comes out only for the night.
Daytime I´ve never seen this species outside. - It´s a shame!
This year in Thailand, I have observe some green pitvipers from a species very related to C. macrops. I found 5 of them. But no one was in Trees or on a branch! All on the ground or on Rocks!
So, be cool, it looks not like a behaviour of anny siccness. I think the Temps are right, but maby a little bit to low for wole year. A cool Periode can be very good, but it depend on where are the origin of you albolabris!

I have see this behavior whit go down on ground in many Trimeresurus sp, but i have not see any of them borrow some hole to go in Smile

Johan Pennanen wrote:: I have see this behavior whit go down on ground in many Trimeresurus sp, but i have not see any of them borrow some hole to go in

You don´t see that??? Maby you sleep when are doing that Shocked

Sure, maby that Smile

! There are so manny posibilitys that can be....
Maby the snake is looking for are hiding place, but can´t find that in higher elevations of the Terrarium. Or, something disturb it, and it is looking for shelter, in such streesed moments the can maby shows such a behaviour??? ,,There are no Place to hide, than I have to make some...´´
I don´t know what´s happend with this snke. Maby a typical naturly behaviour or a untypical,or a typical for a snake in captivity...
I know that G. oxycephalus does that also. Also a ,,aboreal´´ snake, that comes from time to time on the ground. I keep this species and found it sometimes burrowed in the Flowerpott.

Thanks for all the replies guys! This thread has become very very interesting to read and all the possibilities given are likely to be the cause. I am glad this is not a sign of sickness and I am not the only one to have observed this kind of behavior. I will monitor him closely and see if I can pin down a reason for this shift.
I will take pictures of the snake when I see him hiding in the burrow again and post them.

Regards,
Tiberiu!

I think it may also be because you use the potting soil, which is a more natural substrate. I keep all my forest-dwelling reptiles on a similar type of substrate and I see all kinds of behaviours that you wouldn't expect, including burrowing from non-fossorial animals.

Also, in some cses, we have incomplete knowledge of how these reptiles spend their time in the wild and certain behaviours they may have. I'm sure that some animals naturally display behaviours that haven't been documented in the wild, which comes as a surprise when they are displayed in captivity.

I'm happy to see reptile keepers maintaining their animals in naturalistic conditions instead of simple, sterile enclosures. It gives them a chance to show us their full potential of behaviours - and sometimes even surprise us a little Wink

Guest

Both my male albos. And male insularis do the same thing. Nothing to worry about my boys been doing it for years. Ground by day roam at night unless they have fed then its under the basking light then to the bottom corner. Sometimes even hides in the cracks in their rocks.

MY pair of C. albolabris is doing fine now. Thought I would share some pictures.
Female:
Strange behavior in C. albolabris? Calbolabrisf

Male:

Strange behavior in C. albolabris? Calbolabrism

splendide snakes, very beautiful, great shots.
I was wondering if you could take some pics of their terrarium and if you can capture him in the act that would be very interesting to see how he does that, regards

once again beautiful snakes

Thank you very much Gustav! I will take some pictures for overview, maybe tomorrow if I don't forget.

Regards!

I think Albolabris is a major geocole viper...
I am a Chinese,I live in a place which is natural habitat of Albolabris. my friend went to wild to collect snakes at summer night,and he found the Albolabris were on the ground and catched rodents.They are not total arboreal snakes...
They climb on the trees at daytime to rest and avoid natural enemy.

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