California Kingsnake - in Captivity

In Captivity

The California Kingsnake is one of the most popular pet reptiles, due to its ease of care, attractive appearance, and ability to become tame. It is also the most widely bred, and as such most available, subspecies of the Common Kingsnake. They are kept in glass, plastic or wooden enclosures with suitable equipment to provide the right temperature and humidity. Regardless of the type of cage, its security is of utmost importance to prevent the reptile from escaping. Young individuals do best in smaller cages, and can be moved to larger environments as they age, as enclosures that are too large can cause unnecessary stress. Common substrates suitable for use with California Kingsnakes are aspen shavings, newspaper, and paper towels. Cedar and pine shavings are toxic to reptiles and should not be used. When a kingsnake is preparing to shed, it needs a humid environment to help shed the old skin. A box containing damp moss or moistened paper towels is often provided to facilitate this process.

Temperatures should be kept at around 80–85 °F (27–29 °C), with the cool end of this range at one end of the enclosure and the warm at the other end. This provides a thermal gradient within which the snake can self-regulate its own body temperature. Temperatures should not be allowed to go above 90 °F (32 °C) as this can cause severe health problems. Room temperature at night is fine; most wild snakes can take overnight temperatures as low as the high 40s. Humidity should be kept low (below 40%), and one suitable water bowl can provide this.

Snakes should not be handled extensively for the following 48 hours after eating, which can cause the snake to regurgitate its prey. When handling a kingsnake, the entire body of the animal should be supported and not tightly restrained. Young snakes and any individuals not accustomed to being handled may bite and smear cloacal contents on the handler, though most kingsnakes learn to tolerate being handled by humans relatively quickly.

The King Snake is a non-venomous species that loops around, constricts and then squeezes the prey until it suffocates. The snake must not be fed food items that are still frozen. The food should be thawed to room temperature and then if desired, warmed slightly in warm water or on a heat pad. Frozen prey will cause frostbite, which can be deadly for a snake.

Due to their cannibalistic nature, no more than one California Kingsnake should be kept in a single enclosure at once. Snakes in shared enclosures may attempt to eat one another, resulting in the death or injury of one or both snakes. The only time two snakes should be in one enclosure is if breeding efforts are ongoing.