Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all, My boys (7 1/2 & 10) and I are new to the snake world. We started off this spring by catching a wild eastern garter and then decided to let him go after a couple of weeks and look for a captive born snake.

We ended up buying a pair of Florida Brooks King Snakes. This is their first year to breed as they are two years old from what I was told. We have had them for about a week now and yesterday they were wrapped up all day after a few days of them working on positioning

Can someone give me a good timeline of the events to come?

Thanks,
Travis, Dylan and Derek

Two-year olds may be too young; normally it is recommended that you wait until they're at least three. And if the snakes weren't brumated (cooled) for a few months over the winter, your chances of breeding success are lowered further.

But should you have success, here is a rough timeline. (Numbers are from Barron's guide for L. g. floridiana; experienced breeders here may have them slightly different)...

42 to 58 days from breeding to egg laying. The female will complete a "pre-laying shed" about 1 to 2 weeks prior to laying her eggs. Average clutch size 7 to 11.

44 to 63 days from egg deposition to hatching (incubation time).

Detailed information on preparing a nesting box, incubating the eggs, etc. can be found in the CareSheet/FAQ section of this site. Good luck!
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MichaelB

Thanks for the information. They were brumated over the winter. I will have to call the fellow I got them from and confirm the ages.

Travis