Distribution:
Mt Mang, YiZhang County in southern Hunan Province near the border with Guangdong Province in China.
Type locality is Mt Mang (蟒山) amongst the Nanling mountain range.  They are most commonly found inside the protected Mt Mang Nature Reserve, but can sometimes be found in the surrounding areas.  Elevation of this area is 700-1000m.

Habitat:
Humid subtropical evergreen forests.  Plants are mainly broadleaved evergreens and ferns.
Summer Temperatures : 25°C-33°C
Winter Temperatures : 1°C-10°C

Description:
Adult females typically grow to more than 200cm in length with males slightly smaller.  Neonates start off with an arboreal lifestyle, but as the age and get heavier they start to spend increasing amounts on the ground.  Adults are found on the ground, usually lying against logs or rocks under cover.  Hatchlings have a light blue/gray colored tail with an unusual blunt tip that is used as caudal lure.  The adults retain this feature and but caudal luring in adults has not been observed in captivity by us so far.

I do not believe the myth that they can spit because of the numerous specimens I have handled and agitated over the years, none have shown any ability to do so.  Those who claim they can spit will need to provide some proof other than claim they do. 

Captive Breeding:

We believe that we are the first to successfully breed this species in captivity in 2002.  2003-2005 our pairs did not give us any eggs.  In 2006 and 2007 they bred for us again and gave us healthy clutches, but all the hatchlings were deformed.  In 2008 we were successful again for the 2nd time after tweaking our husbandry methods.

After a hibernation of several months, mating takes place in spring with eggs being laid in late June or early July.  The eggs measure approximately 35cm x 5.5cm weigh around 35g each.  Hatching occurs after an incubation period of 55-60 days at 27°C-28°C.  Neonates are usually 40cm in length when they hatch and will accept rodents as their first food without difficulty.