Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Any difference in color,size between M/F?
Would a 30 gallon long tank be sufficient?
Temps hot side-cool side?
Are they happy on mice or like grey banded prefer lizards if given the choice(I know they cant tell you heehee but from observations)?
Do they do best with a winter cooling period(wont be bred just a pet)?
thanks.
Lia

Any difference in color,size between M/F?

In most kingsnakes, males get larger than females. I believe this is true in pyros as well, although I don't recall ever hearing this stated for sure.

Would a 30 gallon long tank be sufficient?

If it is a 30 long (36" long), it should be fine.

Temps hot side-cool side?

My pyro rarely gets on the hot end of his cage. I have heat tape there that gets it up into the mid 80s. The cool end is in the mid to low 70s and he stays down there except right after eating.

I would say a cool area near 70° and a warm area around 85° would be optimal.

Are they happy on mice or like grey banded prefer lizards if given the choice?

I collected mine from the wild as a juvenile but it has always taken pinkie/fuzzy mice. Some neonates can be picky and I have heard that wild caught adults can be a little picky, but most cb animals I have dealt with readily ate of the appropriate size.

Do they do best with a winter cooling period(wont be bred just a pet)?

Mine goes off food every winter, so I cool him down. I don't have a female so I don't intend to breed him, but I do cool him anyway.

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Chris Harrison

Thanks for the great advice. I never thought a kingsnake would prefer it so cool . Glad I asked. Those temps are easy enough to get for me with a heating pad on one side of tank.
Thanks again.
Lia

Pyros like things cool--mine are never offered a warm spot, and I've kept and bred them for over twenty years. Pyros are hogs and will gag down surprisingly large prey--small pyros that have eaten sizeable lizards can look like a tadpole for a few days. Adult mice are fine for adult pyros. Males do get larger than females--to over four feet in my largest male. Depending on the humidity where you live, it might be a good idea to moisten the substrate once in a while, if you're not using paper. I keep all my snakes on cypress mulch, and since I live in Arizona where the humidity is very low, I have good control over the substrate moisture. I grew up on Long Island, and I know how humidity can affect how much water you dump onto the substrate, but a bit of moisture is good once in a while, then let it dry out as much as it will before adding more moisture. If you try to keep your pyro active all winter, it may not feed, and would lose weight. I'd cool it.

I'd keep your pyro away from lizards if it's currently feeding on mice. Pyros have a strong preference for lizards, and sometimes, if a mouse-feeder is given a lizard, it refuses mice for a while after that, and has to be re-trained back onto mice. Nuisance.

I have 1.1 '02 pyros from the same clutch. While both are garbage disposals, the male is already twice the size of his sister. It is interesting to see such a size differential so soon.

Wow thats a nice snake. The set up is great to. Thats what I intend to do a set up like that more or less in my 30 gallon.
After reading the top post will get a F since I prefer smaller so she has more room in a 30.
Lia

Thanks Lia. The plants are plastic leaves you can get cheap at a craft stores. Mine sure make use of them.

The female is pickier about her cage layout. I doctored a vhs case as her warm hide (82 F), which she pushed out of the cypress substrate, moving it to the other end of the cage (70-74F), which she uses frequently. I've since added sturdy hides in both ends now, but she still prefers the vhs box to the well-spent $15 unused plastic stump. Looks odd to me, but works for her.

68 should be fine for the cool end. The heat pad should suffice for the warm end. You probably don't need the warm bulb.

Thanks for the info. I ordered last night two hide cave like things made out of cement by ESU. One for each side of the tank.
I am going to put one hide cave over the cobra heat pad. I want to get everything and make sure temp is good,etc before getting the snake.
If the bulb isnt needed than will just use a daylight flourescent 36 inch long bulb just to light up the tank for 10 hours a day .The snake will have dark hide areas.
Thanks.
Lia

Thanks for the great advice/help. What do you mean by cool? I ask because here in Miami I use the ac all yr more or less temp is at 68. I imagine without a warm area on one side of the tank thats a bit to cool for the digestion.
I planned on using a cobra heat pad on one side of tank under the hide area and even a low watt bulb(red or dark color) if needed.
Lia