Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I wanted to get a snake for our little girls, just one, but this turned into 2 very quickily. There was a young girl on her way to college and couldn't keep the snake so she dropped it off today for only $10, it came with a 20 gallon tank, 50 watt regular bulb & a UTH. The snake is on crushed walnut shells, I heard this can cause impaction but theres so many substrates that can cause problems. I have some linoleum from a floor I didnt finish, would the snake be good on this? The other snake my wife just left to pickup for FREE! It comes in a 30 gallon tank with stand and under tank heater as well. The snake I got today first is about 3 feet long & the girl said she was feeding him a fuzzy mouse once a week. Do you feed the snake 1-2 days after the snake deficates? So you know the snake has digested the mouse? THe temp is good on the warm side, my temp gun says its 81 on the surface with the light on and the UTH on as well. Also the snake I am picking up today is 4 1/2-5 feet long and fill grown. Would it be ok to house both king snakes together? I really dont want 2 tanks and if it comes down to it I would give one of them away. The first snake also came with the pooper scooper, extra feeding tank. I also have gray slate rock I could use a substrate if that would be acceptable? Im going to make it where they are on the same feeding schedule so I can feed them both the same day. The little one will be eating 1 fuzzy per week and the full grown 1 adult mouse per week or every 10 days. Also I have a large water bowl for them already. She also included a 10 gallon feeder tank and tongs to feed the snakes the mice. Is it true not to handle a snake 24/48 hours after it eats so it doesnt regurgiate? Thank you guys so much for your help! If I left anything out please let me know.

Disregard the housing question, I just read they are canabalistic.

Hey welcome to the world of snakes, start yourself off with a good published book, i recommend "Kingsnakes & Milksnakes in Captivity" by Robert Applegate. It also goes into depth about breeding, but you wont need that information. i recomment aspen bedding. Its cheap and comes in bulk form. and definately house separately. Temps should be around 80-84 warm side and 70-75 cool side. night temps should drop bout five degrees. UTH are preferred methods of heat, incadescence are not necesarry, but if you want better viewing pleasure, then by all means why not. but only during normal day cycles. make sure there are at least two hides one in cool end and one in warm end. also a water bowl. big enough for the snake to soak itself in. The adult, being as large as it is, you might want to feed it pre killed small-medium rat, as opposed to two large mice a week. the juveniles will do well on feeding every 4-5 days. unless you want to powerfeed, then 3-4 days. well hope this helps
Good Luck and welcome to the madness!

Well i didn'ty read everything you wrote but this question comes up about every ten days on this forum. Just long enough to get burried under the posts.

From just what i read:

Ditch the lights and UTH. Snakes don't need it they are fossorial. I re[eat DITCH them. They will dry out the snakes.

Get an undertank heater!!!!

This will aloow the snake to thermoregulate. Place at one end and the snake will know what to do. Use common sense, like don't place the water dish there.

Put a water dish and some aspen or pine shabings. NO Cedar! You can use hide spots 9wood boards, cardboard box, ect..BUT,,, snakes like TIGHT places. Not hide boxes they can squish into. Better to use a board, tile ect.

Next: ... -

Feed large as possible mice and every 3-4 days OR MORE IF TRHE SNAKE WANTS TO EAT..

...most people new with snakes think there is a "schedule". Not so. Not like dogs, cats , pigs or other "pets". Snakes are really different and don't fall under the "pet" catagory. ...

Keep feeding your snake!!! Every few days or as often as it will eat.. and pick mice that keep getting larger. Larger - better protein and calcium.

Most people starve there snakes and wonder why they want to strike and eat their fingers/

OH!................and...

YOU CAN keep them togther. But i would not reccomend it. For a novice. IF well fed, they will accostom to each other (bond)(bonding process during brumation) and there won't be problems.

Heck,,,,, even people cannabaize when they get hungry!

If you think about it...if kingsnakes ate each other in the wild there would be none. They are found in groups.

One last thiung.

Hand out here are read some posts. SNAKES ARE NOT WHAT MOST PEOPLE THINK. THEY ARE NOT FISH OR LIKE OTHER ANIMALS. They live underground (no UTH) needed. And they are secretive (provide tight hide spot) or rthey will STRESS!
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Oh dang...

I should have read the whole post. I thought you said UVB ( Light) and not UTH (Under Tank Heater). Major mistake. My apologies.

Turn the light off and leave on the undertank heater. Just put it on one side and not the middle.
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so many typos on my post, I wish they had an edit function.

"Not hide boxes they can squish into"

I meant to write: Not hide boxes they "can't" squish into!

The feeling of jamming themselves into a tight space reduces stress and usually make reluctant feeders want to eat. Some captives need this security.

Personally for my Florida kings, I don't use any hide boxes. They eat no matter what.

Calif Mountain Kingsnake

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