Kingsnakes, Leeds

This page has been moved to : Kingsnake Caresheet

If you are new to keeping reptiles, please read our introductory care sheet :
Reptile Keeping for Beginners.

Caring for your Kingsnake

Lampropeltis getula

We pride ourselves on being voted Best Independent Pet Centre in the U.K by Which Magazine. We take our animal welfare very seriously. If in the first few days of your Kingsnake coming home you are concerned about its health or well being, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are open seven days a week and often a simple phone call to one of our shops in Leeds may alleviate any minor problems and put your mind at ease over any difficulties you may be encountering.

Please read the following information below very carefully as a basic guide to caring for your Kingsnake. Any new owner would be wise to purchase a more in depth book.

Essentials
2 - 4 foot Vivarium or larger
Beech Chips/Repti Maize
Hide
Shallow, Heavy Dishes
Rocks/Logs/Branches/Artificial Plants
Pinkies/Fluffs/Mice (Depending on age)
Calcium D3 and multivitamin supplements
Heat Mat, Thermostat Highly Recommended

Housing
Kingsnakes are agoraphobic and so it is recommended that a smaller vivarium is used for young kings so that they feel secure with their surroundings. Only one kingsnake can be kept per vivarium as they are cannibals.

For the first year, your kingsnake will be quite happy in an 18" vivarium and then later moved to a 36" vivarium when it gets over 2 - 2.5 feet long.

Be sure there are plenty of hiding places thoughout the vivarium in the form of logs, rocks or artifical plants. Keep one of those hiding places moist by placing slightly dampened sphagnum peat moss inside to help your kingnake shed properly. Water must always be available in a heavy shallow dish. The temperature during the day should be maintained between 85 on the hot side and 75 at the cool end. Locate the tank out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating.

A Heat Mat should provide ample heating for a kingsnake enclosure, though if you find temperatures are not right, then you could use a low wattage red bulb controlled by a thermostat. This will give you much more control over the temperatures in the vivarium and is a more natural source of heat since kingsnakes would normally burrow in the wild to escape the heat.

There are a variety of substrates that can be used, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Beech chips are the most popular substrate, though may cause problems if your snake accidently ingests it. Herbi Veg or Repti Maize are a safer alternative since they can be "passed through" if ingestion occurs.

Some people prefer to use Reptile Carpet, which is a coarse, felt-like, material which eliminates any ingestion problems though is not a very natural substrate and makes it impossbile for your kingsnake to burrow into the substrate.

Of course, any ingestion problems can be avoided if you feed your kingsnake in a seperate, substrate-free, tub or enclosure.

Water must be provided at all times.

Diet
Your Kingnake should thrive on a diet of mice (of appropriate size). When young it is best to feed them pinkies but as they get older you can then move on to fluffs, then small mice and eventually large mice. You will need to dust the mice with a mineral supplement to make sure your kingnake gets all the nutrition it needs. We recommend Nutrobal as it contains both Calcium and D3 which aids in the use of the calcium supplement. This is more important for young snakes as the rodents they eat are also very young and do not have the same nutritional content as adult rodents. The best way to apply the dust would be to dip the head of the mouse into the powder so it has a dusted cap. This ensures you do not use too much of the supplement.

Handling
Kingsnakes are known for their non-aggresive nature though regular handling is required to keep them tame. Young kingsnakes tend to be more nervous and flighty than corn snakes but with regular handling will calm down after a couple of weeks. Do not handle your kingsnake in the first week of bringing it home. The move tends to be stressful for it so leave it alone in the first week and then try feeding it the following week. If it feeds normally in the first week, leave it alone for another couple of days to allow it to digest its meal and then you can begin to handle it.

Try to avoid handling your kingsnake in a area it can easily escape if you lose control over it. Snakes are notorious escape artists and will disappear down the most impossible places if given the oppertunity!

Cleaning
Check the tank daily for faeces and remove them immediately. Wash out the water dishes daily. Place the Kingsnake in an escape proof container while cleaning the tank. Both the tank and any washable floor coverings should be washed monthly in hot water and mild detergent. Use a Reptile Safe disinfectant to sterilise the tank such as BEA Reptile Disinfectant. Rinse well with hot water and dry thoroughly.

Extra Info
Snakes are notorious escape artists so the vivarium MUST BE SECURE!

Kingsnake Starter Kit
Paws for Thought's Kingsnake Starter Kit is the ideal setup for young kingsnakes.

The Kingsnake Starter Kit has everything you need to care for your snake including Substrate, Heat Mat, Hide, Mineral Supplements and much more. This setup should be big enough for your snake until it reaches approximatly 2 foot in length ( between 6 months and a year old ) at which point it is time to upgrade to a larger vivarium.

And at only £59.99 it has to be one of the most affordable setups available, suitable for anybody's budget!