not just for you, but others here as wellThis does bother me, as I often cause people to get upset. As a pioneer in breeding kings and pyros in particular. These problems were solved decades ago.

The REAL problem is the humans and not the snakes. We get about as goofy as you can imagine. Here we have lots of species of kings, all from DIFFERENT HABITATS, yet we stuff them into the same boxes and say, well that one did well, then think, so should this one.

We have kings that occur at elevation, ones that occur in low areas, etc, etc. All kings require a RANGE of temps and humidity. In fact, all can use the same range to pick what they need. But thats not what we offer, we offer the narrowest average range. A range that suits US and our boxes. Not a range that the snakes naturally use. Snakes all use different temps for different tasks.

Humans being so smart, cannot even figure the simplest of these things out. For instance, biologist take the temps of a moving snake, one that is out moving. Then we base what snakes(reptiles) require on that. The truth is, snakes rest at low temps. Sometimes very very low near freezing. They pick that. They commonly rest at temps in the forties, fifties, and sixties. Above that is NOT RESTING. This is for ALL snakes.

They will all use temps(ground temps=hotspot) of 100F. Althought they rarely if ever allow their body temps to reach that. The truth is, the allow their body temps to reach the low 90's F for various tasks, but not crawling. Crawling out requires temps hot enough for full function, but not so hot that there is no margin of error. Yet basking to digest food or during certain times of gestation, they allow their body temps to near lethal.

Most of the time wild snakes live and move about(in their shelters) at temps below what we call hibernating temps.(30's thru 50's)

So their preferred range is easily from the 40's to high 90's. And there is room for error, all species. Now lets take a break and look at particular species. Yes if you offered a narrow range to some species(getula), they will do all right(not great, but alright, appears good enough for us humans). Others species may not tolerate a narrow choice so well, like pyros for instance.

This is so simple it hurts me to think about it, a snake from high elevation, can and does use hotter temps then lower elevation species, and can and does use temps that are lower then low elevation species. Just think about it, nights could all year, and in the summer super hot days.

It appears pyros need a wider range of temps to excell. Getula kings do not require that large of a range, that is, they do not die from a narrow range, but if offered they will make good use of it.

The absolute truth is, if you offered a wider range from the fifties to the 90's, all colubrids will thrive and you do not have to do a dang thing. You do not have to hibernate them, or bring them out. They will do it all on their own, without your help, just like all the wild ones have done for eons.

All you have to do is feed/water and clean cages. Oh and harvest eggs. How dang easy is that. And what is so very funny, its less work and easy to do. With far more margin of error.

Its the narrowing of choices that bothers snakes and limits them. Their entire life is based on them choosing temps, humidity, sun exposure, contact types(things they touch, like substrate, rock type and texture, wood type and texture, etc) Each population has a certain feel they look for in nature. Overall, they are similar to eachother but not exactly alike.

What really bothers me is, after all these years, people(keepers) think if I follow this recipe, then anything that goes wrong is the snakes fault. Afterall its a pyro or scarlet king. Yet in nature these snakes do very well, as well as any other colubrid. So its not the snakes fault if we are so lazy will not not attempt to fit are cages to the species we are working with. Cheers

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