Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, the snake I'm thinking about getting is a white and black banded cali. Is this what is known as the desert phase? Here is a pic down below of what it would look like as an adult(It's only a hatchling now, and it has perfect bands, unlike the one shown.) If it is the desert phase, would a desert background paper on the terrarium and washed playsand work as a good substrate for him?

Was there something about my substrate advice I gave you that you didnt like ? I like helping out folks because I have been keeping Kings and other reptiles for almost 20 years now. I took my time to answer each one of your previous questions and specifically mentioned that sand is not a good idea. I guess you are waiting for others to weigh in but generally the consensus is sand is BAD. Also not to beat you up but while folks are nice and answer questions here you can find numerous care sheets on Kingsnakes on the internet. Sorry to sound like aggravated but also another resource if you are going to repeat questions try the forum search as this topic has been covered hundreds of times on here.

Keith Hillson

p.s. In case you might have not read my previous effort here it is

>>1. Would a 20L be good enough?

Yes a 20 long would be fine for a animal 1-2 years old but sometimes hatchlings do better in smaller tanks like 10 or even 5 gallon tanks. They seem to feel more secure and suffer less stress as well.

>>2. Will a King climb? Also, is it a desert snake? If not, what's it's habitat? Trying to figure out how I should lay out the tank.

They will climb a little but they mainly stick to the ground(terrestrial). Kings employ different habitats but they are usually not found too far from water. I would say a Cal King is NOT a desert animal in the sense it likes it hot and dry. A subsrate of either paper towel or aspen shavings will work best. Avoid things like sand or cedar shavings. Stick with easy to clean materials. Keep a temp gradient of 85 on one side and 75-77 on the other.

>>3. Yes, the age-old question: Live or Frozen? I know the main complain against live is that it can injure your snake. But I would never leave a mouse/rat unattended with my snake. Also, it just seems more natural for it to be fed live- whats your viewpoint?

I wouldnt worry about what seems more natural as keeping a snake in a glass box is as unnatural as it gets so that arguement is moot. There are many reasons why dead mice are better some of them are convenience, digestability, price, less injury hazzard and freezing can kill some internal parasites. Ive never had a snake injured by a dead rodent but Ive seen live rodents do damage on a few occasions while I was there supervising.

Keith
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I didn't see what you said about sand, and I don't want to use newspaper or paper towels or shavings. I want to make it look like a real environment, which is why I wanted to know it's habitat. Like what background paper to put on the tank, things to put in the tank, substrate and other things.

In the past Ive used aquarium gravel. I believe it was sm or medium red flint. This worked fine but was difficult to keep clean and was heavy. Sand and even the gravel has silica dust in it which can irratate the lungs of snakes. Another bad thing about natural substrates is they can harbor bacteria better. You can try the crushed walnut shells but you wouldnt want to feed on it as it will stick to the food. Some people use sepreate feeding enclosures in this case. Snakes in general simply dont dop well on natural substrates they are prone to belly scale rot and other issues. If you want a terrium type animal maybe stick with lizards or frogs which do better set-up naturally.

Keith
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I've heard of people putting the mouse/rat on a plate inside the cage when their snakes eat so they don't ingest any of the substrate. So the walnut shells could work?

Also, on a sidenote, is that what is called a desert phase cali king?

Yeah that might work but Kings do tend to drag their food around. Also keep in mind with Walnut shells be prepared to dig for you King when you want to see it. Thats one thing that used to drive me nuts is they dig like a mole in anything loose like Aspen or gravel etc... Yeah that looked like a Desert King you posted a pic of.

Keith
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A plate could work, but more times then not, your king at some point will drag the prey item off the plate and into the substrate. (I know mine do) Then you'll have aspen/walnut shells/sand/etc. stuck all over the pinkie. You might want to feed in a seperate container if your not going to use newspaper/paper towls.

"I've heard of people putting the mouse/rat on a plate inside the cage when their snakes eat so they don't ingest any of the substrate".

Here's a page that has pics of their natural habitats....www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/l.g.californiaehabitats.html
As you can see, they come from a wide array of habitats. Just because your snake may be referred to as a "desert phase" doesn't mean it actually came from the desert at any time in it's lineage.
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Ace

I’ve been housing, snakes for about eleven years now on sand. I have tried different kinds of sand. The play sand has too many fines in it. The fines absorb up moisture, so a 1” spot will turn into a 3” spot. I use a cleaned (dust free) #3/12 grade kiln dried sand. it’s kind of hard to find, I buy it at industrial supply stores. It’s used for sandblasting .it’s about eight dollars for 90 lb. Bag . I think it’s easy to clean, all I use, is a plastic spoon and paper plate, just scoop it out and try to pick up most of moisture after each feeding. I clean my tanks, about once a year, remove all sand , and clean the tanks with bleach and water. I recycle my sand, by putting it into a bucket and letting it soak in bleach and water for a few days. Then I stir it up with a stick. Push a hose to the bottom of the bucket until water runs clear on the overflow. I then pour it into sandbags and let It dry out untill I need it next time.
I have never had a problem with any of my snakes getting sick or dying yet. Here is a picture. Any questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

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RBICHLER

Wow thats a nice terrarium you have. I don't know where I'd go about getting sand like that though.

I know you want a "natural look" but I switched from a gravel like substrate to Aspen. My king absolutely loves it... she comes out more, and she loves to tunnel and bury, and dig in it... I think she really enjoyed the switch. With the gravel stuff she never dug or tried to hide beneath it... Just an option to thik about. It also it very easy to keep clean, and it is cheap too... Good luck! I can get a pic of my tank if you need it... I warn, it is nothing spectacular...
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~Laura

Rejoice, the age of the fall has begun
We'll dance as the palaces burn.
--Lamb of God, As the Palaces Burn