Regarding breeding weights: those are guidelines, not absolutes. For example, saying a human needs to be at least a certain weight to give birth would equally be a guideline at best (and make many angry) but in no way a true statement.

Male and female snakes need to be sexually mature to breed. That is fact. Smaller females can produce just fine. However, in captivity, and probably due to the limitations of captivity, many breeders a decade or more ago had better results if the females had a good amount of growth before breeding them. It is not a bad thing to go by - waiting until the female is a good 3yrs old and stout - but it is not to say that they cannot produce successfully when smaller.

Yes, they like rock slides, but not all live in rock slides. In general, mountain kingsnakes use rock structures to provide warm basking areas, security and protection from freezing during winter. The rocky crevices extend well under ground. Mountain kings usually live in areas where they do not compete with the larger common kingsnakes, and this often (but my no means always) means the higher elevations (but not too high of course).

Find "Mountain Kingsnakes" by Brian Hubbs if you can. Awesome book.

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