Detailed Explanation of Key Points on Chinese Water Snake Farming Techniques

The Chinese water snake, commonly known as the mud snake, is a reptile of the genus Enhydris in the family Colubridae. It is a national “three-valuable” protected animal and also a key protected animal in Hunan Province. It is not allowed to be sold or eaten, but artificial farming is not restricted. Let us take a look at the farming techniques for the Chinese water snake below!

Seedling Cultivation of the Chinese Water Snake

For Chinese water snake seedlings, you can directly capture brood snakes from the wild, or purchase individuals with good color and large abdomens as brood stock, and place them in a breeding pond of 3-10 sq m, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:3. Keep the breeding pond at a silt depth of 30 cm and a water depth of 30 cm, and properly add dry rice straw or other dry grass, changing the water frequently to keep the water clear and easy to observe. During the breeding period, keep the brood snakes with abundant food sources. Once they give birth, the young should be separated within half a day and put into a transition pond for rearing. The young snakes are fed with cooked egg yolk mixed with rice porridge, bloodworms, and the like.

Bait Feeding for the Chinese Water Snake

1. Types of bait: In addition to liking various freshwater miscellaneous fish and loaches, the Chinese water snake is especially fond of rice field eels and various frogs. Feeding should be done on time according to the season when they are easy to catch or the special fattening needs of the water snake, and the types of bait should be diversified as much as possible to meet the needs of its body growth.

2. Feeding time: Most water snakes have a strong appetite and need to eat once every 4-5 days. Generally, a water snake weighing about 100-200 grams can swallow 1-2 small miscellaneous fish at a time, and some can swallow 3-4.

3. Feeding management: Water snakes are especially bold. If someone is nearby during the swallowing process, it does not affect their feeding. After eating, like other snakes, they have the habit of lying still. At this time, do not disturb them too much, otherwise they will also spit out the food swallowed into their stomachs, which will inevitably delay the next feeding time and reduce the proper amount of food intake, which is extremely unfavorable to the growth of the water snake. The number of visits to watch should be reduced artificially, or strangers should be refused entry for visits.

Farming Techniques for the Chinese Water Snake

1. Water source: The Chinese water snake is a snake with aquatic or semi-aquatic habits. The arrangement of the water source in farming is a major key. During the active season of the water snake, the water source must be kept sufficient and clean. In midsummer, thoroughly clean the pond and remove scale once every 7-15 days, so as to avoid the water snake helplessly drinking unclean water and causing enteritis, which would create unnecessary trouble.

2. Pond construction: The farming pond is preferably 100 sq m, dug more than 1 m deep, backfilled with 30 cm of silt or mature field soil, filled with more than 40 cm of water, and covered with 10 cm of dry rice straw or dry grass according to 1/4 of the pond area. Build a 1 m high anti-escape and anti-rat wall around the pond.

3. Stocking: After the Chinese water snakes are taken out of the transition pond, they are separated by size and strength and stocked into the pond. The stocking density is 10 snakes per sq m. Small fish that reproduce quickly can be added to the pond to grow together with the mud snakes.

4. Management: Various melons, fruits, and vegetables can be planted on the embankments of the farming pond, but pesticides must not be used. Wild rice stem or deep-water rice can be planted around the pond in appropriate amounts. In high-temperature seasons, change the water frequently to lower the temperature. In low-temperature seasons, add dry grass into the water to keep it warm. The market specification is 150-500 grams.

5. Disinfection: Under normal rearing conditions, disinfection should be carried out 2-3 times per month, either by spraying or splashing water. Disinfection is best done in the early morning or evening. Because most water snakes like to be active during the day, and after eating their fill they especially like to gather together to bask in the sun. When the outside temperature reaches above 32°C, they especially like to soak in the water in groups huddled together, with only their heads slightly exposed, and can stay still in the water for a long time. Therefore, disinfection should avoid the peak periods when water snakes are active outside, so as to spare them unnecessary disturbance and fright.

6. Disease prevention: The Chinese water snake has relatively few diseases. Once mud snakes are found to be abnormal, drugs such as Yuaidexin can be used for prevention and treatment. For individual body surface diseases, Xinjielai can be used for cleaning and disinfection. Pesticides must not be allowed to enter the water. Rat prevention work should be done well around the farming site. Once a person is bitten by a snake, the venomous fang should be removed immediately, the wound should be washed with aquatic oil grass and clean water, and the person should go to the hospital for treatment.