Prague Zoo Records First-Ever Offspring of Three Rare Snakes

Prague Zoo has successfully bred three rare snake species for the first time. Particularly noteworthy is the successful breeding of the Rough-scaled Python from north-western Australia.

Prague Zoo has recorded offspring of three snake species that had not previously been successfully bred at the zoo. Particularly remarkable is the successful breeding of the rare Rough-scaled Python from north-western Australia. In addition, young Madagascar Boas and Tartar Sand Boas have also been born at the zoo for the first time.

Two young Rough-scaled Pythons hatched from a clutch of eggs. The other two species are live-bearing: a female Brown Boa, native to Madagascar, gave birth to ten young snakes. A further four offspring were born to a Tartar Sand Boa, a rare burrowing snake species native to the sand dunes of Asia.

Foto: Petr Hamerník | Zoo Praha

"These are three very different snake species from three completely different parts of the world. We are delighted with all of the successful breedings, although two of them are particularly significant for us," said reptile curator Petr Velenský. He was referring to the Rough-scaled Pythons and the Tartar Sand Boas. Both breeding successes originated from animals whose parents had once been confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade by customs authorities – the pythons in Vienna and the sand boas in Cologne. "The fact that the descendants of these confiscated animals are now breeding successfully is a welcome continuation of what was otherwise a sad story," Velenský added.

Foto: Petr Hamerník | Zoo Praha

Visitors can see the Rough-scaled Pythons in the Darwin Crater exhibition. The Brown Boa is on display in the Terrarium, while the Tartar Sand Boa can be found in the Gobi exhibition in the upper part of the zoo.



Prague Zoo (Zoologická zahrada hl. m. Prahy)
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