Not on the surface of the aspen!...the surface just below the aspen on the FLOOR of it's enclosure where it will bury into somewhat. See, it all depends on how thick the substrate is. If it is 84 degrees on the top surface of the aspen and you have a solid 1 or two inches of substrate, the temps below that are far too high. Just put enough aspen on the bottom to absorb feces, maybe 1/2 inch and check the temp at the suface. the snake will dig in some under the hides I mentioned earlier.

No, it doesn't need any kind of night light at all.

Humidity of between 40 and 50 are good. much less than about 40 and it could have some shedding issues.

Since the snake is young and about 2-1/2 to 3 ft., it should be fed meals large enough to put a very noticable lump at mid-body about every 5 days. I give young growing kingsnakes two appropriately-sized rodents per feeding usually.

Here are the size you should be giving it. It should be big enough to have to work a bit and stretch the jaws well, and not small enough it can gulp them down easily. About 1.5 times the diameter of the snake at mid-body.

Here is the size of the prey you should give it such as these Outer Banks kings, Florida kings, and Extreme hypo Honduran are eating. Two every 5-6 days, but make sure it has fed several times to make sure it's stomach is used to digesting real good first from all the previous neglect. You can always cut the food back some if later on you start seeing skin between its scales well after it has eaten, but this won't happen any time soon and it will use the colories to grow some more.

Just remember, it has to have some warmth on the one side where it's belly surface can make contact and thermoregulate in the mid 80's for proper digestion and metabolize substantial meals. the cooler end is just as important.

~Doug








Just make sure the meals aren't quite THIS LARGE, because this girl was JUST BARELY able to cram this HUGE adult breeder mouse down her head.



This was her outermost maximum limit as far as meal size went. It took her quite some time to finally get down, so don't make them that large..


-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"


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