Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm getting a California Kingsnake soon and had a quick question about the temperature. I've read how warm the temp should be in the cage on several websites but they're never the same, some say the cool end should be 80 and the hot end 80, some say the cool end about 75 and the warm end 80-85 with a basking area. I checked the temperature in my terrarium and the cool end was about 73, warm end around 80 and I have a nice warm basking area, will this be okay? I don't want the little guy to be too cold, but I do live in Northwest Washington state so it being January its a bit chilly. I just want to make sure these temperatures will be okay for him for the winter. Thank you

Your temps sound pretty good, but I would get the "hot spot" up to 85-88. Just my opinion. I usually keep my hot side in that range, (85-88), and the cool end as cool as it will get. (with ambient room temps). Make sure you provide hides at both ends and keep the water bowl on the cool side. If the cage is large enough, it doesn't hurt to have a hide in between as well.

Thank you very much for your feedback . I'll try to get the warm side up a bit higher in temp. I've got the layout pretty well done, just wanted to make sure the little guy would be warm enough thanks again!

Just to add to the other great advice Joe gave, I would also add a plastic container with a hole cut in the top(humid-hide) with moist fluffy sphagnum moss placed inside so the snake can seek needed humidity as well. The heated ambient air in a home during the winter can dry the HECK out of the air in it's enclosure and lead to shedding problems if the relative humidity is not above about 35% or so.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Ah, yes. Forgot that part!!! Excellent advice Doug. That was a bad shed just waiting to happen with the dry winter air. I burn a woodstove and have to keep two humidifiers going to keep the humidity at a reasonable level in my house. Without the humidifiers the humidity gets down into the teens!!!

Great advice from Doug and Joe! I keep all my snakes in a warm room with no gradient. They do very well at temps of 82 to 84. I try to keep in that range but it sometimes dips a little on really cold nights. Likewise on really hot summer days it gets up to 86. I would not let it get over 88. Also use a thermometer with a probe and place the probe near the floor of the warm side for accurate readings. Good Luck!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

www.partshelf.com/acu00891.html
My thermometer of choice. Also I have a hand held infrared temperature gun for taking readings in different spots. The ambient temperature in my mountain cabin drops as low as the mid 40's at night until I build the fire at dawn, but the snakes have warm hides that stay in the high 80's-low 90's no matter what. As suggested, I put the probe of the outdoor part of the thermometer in the warm hide to get an exact reading for that most essential spot. I partially bury the warm hide ( a small stack of terracotta saucers) under the deep aspen for more insulation. Then I put a cardboard soda flat box over that, for further heat retention. The moist sphagnum moss hide goes under the cardboard flat for privacy and a little more warmth, too.

With the cardboard flat lifted up to show the moss hide, saucer, etc. Not stingy with aspen; deeper provides more insulation. At least four inches.

Why it gets cold here!
California kings are native to my area. I had a wc one for a couple years but he escaped out the front door this summer. Oh, well, he is in his native habitat, although I bet he misses the steady diet of plump fuzzies and hoppers!
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Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

Whereabouts do you live if you don't mind me asking? You don't need to be too specific. Just curious when you mentioned Cal kings in your area and I saw that picture of all that snow.

I live in Los Angeles area. No snow. Lots of spoiled celebs with unrealistic political views, but no snow.
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Mark

Sierra Nevada foothills Calaveras County 3200 foot elevation on top of ridge. This winter has been extra cold. There is zonata multicincta-California Mountain king snake in my area but have yet to find one. The Lampropeltis getula californiae-California Kingsnake is much more common. The one I had was a rescue from the cats; he had come into the fenced yard and became an unwilling string toy! LOL!

The snow is all gone now and it is a wonderful sunny day. I was about ready to pack up all my critters and move to a less challenging locale, but everywhere else is full of people and that is worse than a little snow.
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Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire