Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I guess the topic headed pretty much says it. I am considering adding a kingsnake to my rather small snake collection (2 others). I have read up on kingsnakes, but have seen some conflicting articles/websites, etc. re: what size enclosure they need. Anyone with any advice, I'm ready and willing to listen. Plus, if you have any other advice re: kingsnake care in general, I'd be much appreciative.

Obviously with only two other snakes, I'm not an overly experienced herper. I have read that kingsnakes are relatively good beginner to intermediate snakes. Is this accurate in your herping opinions? Thanks.

To answer your question we need some info. What size and age snake you plan on buying . Kings are pretty easy to keep so figure out what your getting and the info can be provided.

keith

In general, snakes need a cage whose length + width equals the length of the snake. You can cram them into smaller cages, but I think you are better off giving them "room to stretch".

In regard to kingsnakes as pets,...it depends.

Common Kingsnake subspecies and morphs (Lampropeltis getula ssp. - Florida, Eastern, Black, Speckled, Mex Black, California, Desert, Blotched, South Florida) make great starter snakes. Some of the babies can be a little high strung (particularly cal kings) but they generally become dog tame, eat readily and have no special care requirements that are different from other colubrids. They should be kept alone, of course. They are easy to keep, easy to breed, and are good, responsive pets.

Other species of kingsnake, such as Durango Mtn Kings, Gray-banded Kings, AZ Mtn Kings are a little more finicky, especially as babies and require more effort to get them through the winter. They are also less active and so aren't going to be out crawling around as often. I would steer away from these species for now.
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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

Good advice above...personally I would go for a juv FLA or Brooks. Their the toughest yet friendliest kings around (so I am from S. Florida...I'm prejudiced)Frank

I'm new to king's, yet not new to snakes. And I also have just two other snakes. How about that. And, just as you have found, I've had a hard time trying to find good info on keeping king's - mexican black kingsnakes in particular. I'll be watching this post along with you - hopefully someone with some experience keeping these will post some more detailed info.

I posted to your message below. Mex Black Kings are kept like any other King hence the lack of info becasue they are all kept the same. Look for a common kingsnake care sheet and it will tell you all you need to know. Now if you want some natural history info thats a different thing all together. Check out some Field Guides and the book Common Kingsnakes by Perlowin (AVS) . It will give you care info as well as little about Nigrita itself.

Keith

n/p

Kings are a very diverse genus. Easterns get up 4-5 feet long and need pretty large enclosures. I keep Gray banded kings from Texas and Mexico. They stay under 4 feet and don't require as much room. I currently use plastic sweater boxes to keep the 30 or so that I breed and sell. They can also do fine in 10-15-20 gallon aquariums. I feed only frozen mice so I don't worry about injury to the snakes. I buy and breed mice to keep up with demand.To breed them they must have a cool down period with less light. I brumate (hibernate) mine from Nov. until Feb. I have had good success as long as I stay with a routine. I have kept Cal kings both captive and wild caught and they work about the same as the gray bands. Be careful about feeding. Do not feed wild caught rodents, and I freeze lizards or birds prior to feeding. If you have more questions I can be reached at AlternaTrivPets@boxfrog.com

I have three myself - two adult Gray-bands, and one neonate (newborn) Florida King. Here's a couple things to consider regarding kingsnakes:

1) They must be housed separately. Keep them separate from any and all other snakes, including other kingsnakes. They're cannabilistic. You don't want to wake up some morning and find that your new kingsnake has made a meal out of one of your other cherished pets!

2) Kingsnakes are escape artists. Actually, all snakes are, but kingsnakes seem to be especially talented in this area. So make sure your enclosure is very, very secure!

I would consider kingsnakes to be excellent starter snakes. Attractive, good eaters, and manageable size as a rule. In general they are very docile and non-agressive as adults. There are exceptions, tho. Speckled kings tend to be a bit more ornery than most of the others.

As for the size of the enclosure, it will depend a little on what kind of kingsnake you end up with. Eastern Kings and Florida Kings (often called Brooksis) are the largest; they can top out at over 6 feet as adults. Most of the other species max out in the 3- to 5-foot range. I would recommend a minimum 20-gallon enclosure, preferably larger (especially if you go with one of the larger species).
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MichaelB