Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a ten year old cali king, he is quite a character tame as a puppy and I have a real soft spot for him. Everything I have read says kings live somewhere between 15 and 20 years...so I am wondering how many more years he could have on him, and what other peoples experience with how long kingsnakes live. He is kept in a terrarium with lots of space and is healthy and active.

What you've read is about right, though L. getula species like your CalKing generally live a bit longer than, say, thayeri or milk snakes.

Its impossible to put a number on your snake and say how many years he has left, but a snake that is active and is well cared for will obviously live longer than one that is kept in a small cage and never moves. It sounds like yours is doing quite well.

crocacutus

I know of one kept in a 10 gal tank outside on a protected patio here in So Cal that is 22 yrs old. 10 gal tanks aren't very big.

I think the issue here is WC vs CB. WC kings brought into captivity typically live longer in captivity than CB kings raised in captivity. The 10gal snake above was caught as an adult and has been in captivity 22 yrs in a 10gal tank. Chew on that one..

So whats the difference? I think it might be nutrition early on and the fact that wild snakes are likely stronger animals. But then again, a CB snake can do all in needs to do - pass on its genetics - in a very short time. So it doesn't really need to live as long.
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Mark

I have a 60" pyro that is 13 years old. Got him as a baby from Lloyd Lemke in 1997.

Kerby...
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I have a female patternless blotched king that I obtained as a hatchling. She is a 1999 model.
www.4lakessnakes

This female Honduran Milksnake of mine just turned 22:

Third Eye

Whoa -- I though the record for milk snake longevity was less than 20 years.

Beautiful animal, BTW.

crocacutus

That says a lot about you for sure! You've done a gret job taking care of her, congrats!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

A friend of mine has a pair of buckskin thayeri he got as hatchlings in 1993 or 94.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

I know, wrong forum but I had a corn snake for 21 years before he died, he was an adult when found in Charleston, SC. I currently have an eastern mud turtle that I found as a hatchling on April 9th, 1980.
Does anyone know if someone out there is keeping longevity records? Frank Slavens used to do it years ago.

>>I have a ten year old cali king, he is quite a character tame as a puppy and I have a real soft spot for him. Everything I have read says kings live somewhere between 15 and 20 years...so I am wondering how many more years he could have on him, and what other peoples experience with how long kingsnakes live. He is kept in a terrarium with lots of space and is healthy and active.

I have a 30 year old Ruthveni over here......collected by Mr. Lloyd Lemke as an adult in 1983.......
It is here on loan from Shannon Brown.......
Other Ruthveni over here are 15, 17 & 18.....

I personally have a Knoblochi that is 16 years old......And two Mex Mex that are 17......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I have a WC California kingsnake that I have had since I was 5 years old, so he was collected in 1992. I was too young to remember if he grew at all after being caught or if he was an adult, but I think he may have grown a tiny bit before leveling out, so he was probably born in '89 or '90. He is a little guy, weighing in at 220g and being just right about 3 ft long. He is happy, healthy, has never bitten me in 18 years, and still has it in him to fertilize eggs (although the one good looking egg out of the clutch unfortunately went bad). I'm now getting into snake breeding mostly for the sake of continuing his legacy with another generation before he dies, as I too am wondering how much longer he has. The good news is that I now have 4 breeding-size females, so he will be getting busy a lot in the spring if he lasts, which I think he will.