The hot spring snake has been included in the List of Beneficial or Important Economic and Scientific Research Terrestrial Wild Animals Protected by the State issued by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1, 2000. It has been listed in the 2013 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ver3.1 - Near Threatened. included in the China Biodiversity Red List - Vertebrate Volume, and the assessment level is Vulnerable.

Hot spring snakes are rare snakes unique to China, inhabiting rock caves or rocks near plateau hot springs In the piles, it can be seen in winter and summer. Snake sloughs can often be seen in the crevices of the stone piles near the hot springs. They are also seen in the small rivers and swamps near the plateau hot springs, feeding on alpine frogs, pikas, and fish. Female snakes lay 6 eggs at a time.