Thai Bamboo Ratsnake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi) Care Guide

The Thai Bamboo Ratsnake is a striking red-and-black banded ratsnake native to the montane forests of Thailand. It remains relatively small and is known by many common names such as the red mountain racer, red bamboo snake, and black-banded trinket snake¹⁾. This care guide provides comprehensive information for keeping this shy, cool-climate species in captivity.

Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi. This snake is a subspecies of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus, commonly known as the bamboo ratsnake or red bamboo snake. Oreocryptophis is a monotypic genus (only one species) formerly included in the genus Elaphe²⁾. There are six recognized subspecies in the O. porphyraceus complex across Asia³⁾⁴⁾, and O. p. coxi refers specifically to the Thai population.

Colubridae (the colubrid snakes)⁵⁾. Like other colubrids, it is an active hunter.

Thai bamboo ratsnake, red bamboo ratsnake, red bamboo snake, Thai red mountain racer, red mountain ratsnake, black-banded trinket snake⁶⁾⁷⁾. In the pet trade it’s often just called “coxi” for short. In Thai it is known as ngu thang maphao daeng, meaning “red bamboo snake”⁸⁾.

Adults are small and slender, typically 80–100 cm in length (about 2.5–3.5 ft), with females occasionally up to ~120 cm⁹⁾¹⁰⁾. They have a brilliant red to orange base color with bold jet-black bands or stripes, and a black stripe through the eye and along the head. Unlike some other ratsnakes, juveniles look similar to adults in pattern and color (the wild-type coxi hatchlings are brightly colored, not drab). This vivid coloration likely helps them camouflage among leaf litter and bamboo while also warning off predators by mimicking more dangerous species¹¹⁾.