Big T gave you good advice! I will just add some of my spin on it. First I have seen snakes escape those critter keepers also. The small flip top is usually the culprit. You could easily get him a medium Sterilite tub with the locking clips built in, to give you time to get his more perminant set up ready. I keep yearlings in those and they work great as temperary solutions. For hides I use brown lunch bags or paper towel rolls as T already suggested. The temp gradient is not essential! They are a geart ideah and should be used if possible. I know some may differ with me bt I have never used it and I do very well with ot it. However I have my snakes in a room that hase warm temps so there's no guess work about temps for the most part. If you have him in an air conditioned room then you will want to privide some form of warmth. Heat lamps are not very good as they tend to dry the air too much and don't put the heat on the ground level where it's needed. An under tank heater will work. Make sure you get one that has a variable switch so you can adjust the temps. You can place the heat matt so only one end is resting on the heat. Be sure to monitor the temps on that end very close to the floor, and place the water on the cool end. The moist hide should also be on the cooler end imo, or maybe in the middle. I would also go for a 20 gal long so you will have a permanent home for him and not need to upgrade later. Try to get the metal screen tops as T said. The best ones are the ones that are fotted tightly and the screen slides forward. Avoid plastic tops at all costs. They are the #1 source for escaped snakes that I've seen over the years, other than forgetting to close the top, lol. By the way that is a very pretty Cal King! I'm guessing a high white striped. Good luck 1 The other thing I would add is don't feed him on the substrate. I use the paper bags for that and place the bag and snake back into the cage. You will probably want to watch him eat for a while so get a clear plastic container melt some holes with a soldering iron or hot ice pick. Handle him often but not after meals. Wait until the lump is gone. Be ready for some poop too, lol.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

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• CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - DjFizz, Mon Dec 20 15:19:50 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - Bigtattoo, Mon Dec 20 16:35:43 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - DjFizz, Mon Dec 20 16:52:22 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - amtzzero, Mon Dec 20 17:00:58 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - a153fish, Mon Dec 20 17:15:56 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - Bigtattoo, Tue Dec 21 05:03:17 2010
• Your right! - a153fish, Tue Dec 21 19:01:29 2010
• RE: Your right! - Bigtattoo, Wed Dec 22 04:26:16 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - slitheringdead, Mon Dec 20 18:06:47 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - Jlassiter, Mon Dec 20 18:38:40 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - slitheringdead, Mon Dec 20 19:51:40 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - Jlassiter, Mon Dec 20 21:15:25 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - slitheringdead, Mon Dec 20 21:37:22 2010
• Cool... - Jlassiter, Mon Dec 20 22:00:58 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new owner - pyromaniac, Mon Dec 20 18:28:57 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new ow - DjFizz, Tue Dec 21 00:38:27 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new ow - Bigtattoo, Tue Dec 21 04:53:47 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new ow - DjFizz, Tue Dec 21 05:54:26 2010
• RE: CA Kingsnake hatchling; brand new ow - KevinM, Tue Dec 21 08:49:07 2010
• An easy way to heat that - markg, Tue Dec 21 17:13:26 2010