Post by Lee on Mar 18, 2007 9:32:27 GMT 1
Introduction
The Californian king snake (lampropeltis getula californiae) is a medium sized snake which are part of a group of snakes called colubrids which are a group of non venomous snakes…king snakes are increasingly popular as pets due to their small size and general calm nature with exceptions to some individuals and nervous animals and feed well in captivity usually being quite greedy feeders too which is a plus sign for the beginner keeper in which can be a worrying time for any keeper when a snakes showing reluctance to eat particularly when it’s a young individual, being non venomous aggression is its only defence in which it rattles its tail against any loose terrain which mimics the deadly rattlesnakes (Crotalus species) and most animals are familiar in that area to the rattle that means ‘danger’ so the animal is left alone or striking at predators is another deterrent.
Lampropeltis means ‘shiny shield’ in Greek which could be reference to its smooth shiny scales particularly around the dorsal area.
king snakes get their names from preying on other snakes in the wild even tackling such dangerous snakes that inhabit their environments such as the rattlesnakes which some claim they have a immunity to their potent venom but not sure whether this is true or due to its thick smooth escalation the fangs are unable to penetrate enough to administer a deadly bite ,they are overpowered by constriction in which all non venomous do to dispatch of prey and the animal soon slips away due to asphyxiation(lack of oxygen) before it is eaten by the snake but being opportunist feeders they will eat rodents,frogs,birds and even fish
king snakes consist of 8 family speices and are closely related to the milksnakes(Lampropeltis triangulum)
The families are:
Alterna:
grey banded king snakes(alterna and blairi)
Calligaster
Prairie/mole king snakes
(calligaster,rhomblaculata,occipitolineata)
Getalus
Common king snakes
(californiae,Holbrook,niger,floridanus,splendida,nigrita)
Mexicana
Mexican king snakes
(thayeri,mexicana,greeri)
Pyromenola
Mountain king snakes around the Sonora area
(pyromenola,woodini,knoblochi,infralabalis)
Ruthveni
Ruthvens king snake
(ruthveni)
Triangulum
The milksnakes
(abnormal,sinoloane,Campbelli,hondurensis.amaura,andesine,annulata,arcifera,blanchardi,calaenops,conanti,dixoni,elapsoides(which is the scarlet king snake),gaigae,gentiles,metropolis,multistrata,nelsoni,oligozona,polyzona,smithi,stuarti,syspila,taylori,triangulim)
Zonata
Californian moutain king snakes
(algama,herrarae,multicincta,parvirubra,pulchra,zonata)
Distribution
As the name suggests the common king snake originate in California which is situated in northern America but generally king snakes are widespread throughout northern and central America where they inhabit grasslands,moutain areas and woodland areas where they seek refuge in burrows and crevices during times of inactivity to keep away from predators and to keep out the sun with them being crespular animals(active only when light levels are low) and seek heat from rocks, being cold blooded which means they are unable to regulate their own body they have to find other means of warming up they do this by basking on warm rocks that have been warmed by the sun during the day or warm roads .
Appearance and size
The king snake is a thick bodied snake with a small head barely wider than its neck
Its scalation is unkeeled so is smooth to the touch and very thick scaling compared to other species of snakes and markings and patterning are variable and dependant on type, their mouths aren’t as elastic/stretchy as other snakes so in a captive environment finding suitable sized prey is needed.
Californian king snakes attain lengths of 4ft -5ft but 6ft and larger specimens are heard of quite occasionally so are a very easily managed species for anyone wanting to keep pet snakes especially to those who want to keep more species of colubrids after the corn snake(Pantherophis guttatus) which is one of the most widely kept colubrids in the world of reptile keeping.
The Californian king snakes come in many different patterning and colours which adds to their popularity
They include
Albino
These type lack any dark colouration(melanin) so are white in colour with yellow markings around its body and red/pink eyes…they are getting increasing more widely available and there are lavender types(albino banana phase) that display areas of purple/lavender coloration.
Aberrant
Displays unusual looking markings on its body
Banana and chocolate type
These snakes have dark yellow and brown coloured markings on their body
banded
They have banded markings going down their body which is the most commonly seen Californian king snake available
Coastal and desert phase
The coastal types have very dark yellow colouration as the lighter colour whereas desert phases are white
Dot dash
This is given to calis that have broken stripes which resemble dashes and dots
Striped
These snake have a vertical stripe going all the way down their body
Many of these can be sourced through breeders if you have any difficulty finding the king snake you are after
housing in captivity
king snake housing is relatively easy to get and set up and a large range of housing is available for snakes in many pet shops today….security is one of the most important things when considering your snakes housing as king snakes are very good escape artists and very clever/inquisitive to the slightest hole/gap left and is amazing how little they are able to squeeze through.
Wooden vivariums are a good cage for adult king snakes being very securely built and with only the front viewable it has a calming effect on nervous/new snakes as it gives them a sense of security and with vents fitted allows good air circulation as well as coming in many different sizes
Plastic housing such as geoflats,conticos,large boxes are also used with high success with keeping king snakes as they also have the advantage of variety of sizes and secure fitting lids many of which are clipped from the outside which means the snake cannot open it from inside the cage or try and squeeze out
Glass tanks used in fish keeping are very ill fitting with regards to lids and don’t really allow much air circulation but there are ranges that are suitable for reptiles like the perfecto range so worth looking out for
A good sized vivarium for a large sized king snake of up to 6ft in length would be a 3ft long cage but large conticos and other housing has been used successfully of which a good substrate needs to be used and is really up to personal preference to what to use but substrates such as newspaper, aspen and shop bought bark are very popular but is worth looking out for with particle substrate such as small wood chips as they are very easily swallowed while feeding and can cause real problems to the snake even fatally injuring it so putting kitchen towel on top of the substrate during feeding days or even putting the food item on a small saucer are good preventive measures
Being of a cannibalistic nature it may not be the best idea to introduce two snakes in the same cage except during breeding(even then unfortunate incidents are known to happen)
Heating the cage is either by heat mat or headlamp(heat bulbs or CHE(ceramic heater) of which must be controlled by a thermostat that is designed to control such equipment(pulse is best as high load and perfect for controlling non light emitting equipment and can be used to heat multiple cages dependant on wattage output) and if using bulbs a guard must be fitted….both of which will stop your snake sustaining injuries or overheating both of which are extremely fatal and with heat mats make sure there is an air gap to allow efficient heating and use of the heat mat and to prevent malfunctioning of equipment which could ultimately cause fires….king snakes do well at a temperature of 80-83f with a drop to 78f at night and room humidity is fine as well as the water bowl being put nearer the hot end of your cage.
The interior of the cage is up to personal preference with regards to decoration but good additions include secure branches as although king snakes mainly are ground dwelling as wild animals they do enjoy the occasional climb if provided and cork bark and bits of wood make good hiding places for snakes but make sure all are free from sharp edges which could injure the snake and stable enough to hold the snakes weight comfortably and treated with miltons or any reptile disinfectants prior to be put back in the cage after thorough washing afterwards to kill germs and to keep your snake healthy and a good sized water bowl that is big enough for a snake to submerge is another good addition to the terrarium (dog bowls are good for adult snakes as difficult to tip and very easy to clean)
Food and feeding
king snakes although an eater of reptiles in the wild are easily got into feeding on defrosted mice and rats at hatchling stage and are greedy feeders so are generally not a problem and feeding from frozen is cheaper to buy as are available in many sizes and theres no danger of injury or suffering to the rodent if it was alive.
Defrosting before feeding can be done in many ways like defrosting them in a warm place naturally or submerging them in warm water until defrosted then dried which also has an advantage of raising the body heat of the prey
most snakes will take the food item if you wiggle it with a pair of forceps(you can risk being bitten if using your fingers) until the snake grabs it which is called ‘’strike feeding’’ whereas others prefer to feed off the ground of in the privacy of their hide box.
In some cases you get the odd reluctant feeder which will not take the mice/rats easily so hers a few pointers:
*braining the rodent which involves splitting the rodents skull and exposing the brain and the snake upon smelling this should take it with no problems
*splitting the stomach which involves splitting it and it does the same purpose as skull splitting
*washing the rodent and handling it as little as possible could be another way to get it feeding as it might smell you on there
*scenting it with chick or mouse in the case of rats could trigger a feeding response or rubbing lizard skin on there as snakes are opportunist feeders in the wild so worth a try to the captives
Once these methods have been exhausted pre killed is another option with the above methods used then and after this has been exhausted assist feeding and should only be attempted as a last resort as can cause added stress to the snake may be an option but all the above methods have proved successful so you should have no problems.
Handling your snake
When first acquiring a young king snake try and resist the temptation of handling the snake until it is feeding regular and it has fully settled into its new environment, some king snakes can be a little nervous when you handle them for the first time and shake their tail and strike but take things slowly and they calm down to accept handling very well but like everything you do the odd exception which is down to the individual really(like people)which can be aggressive and not take to handling as well as you’d hoped
Its best not to handle snakes 48 hours after a feed too as to not risk regurgitation or not being confident in handling the snake as you can risk injuring the snake even a fall from a small height can still hurt a snake
The best way to handle a snake of their size is to support the snakes body at two places and gently let it glide between your hands freely, don’t hold them too tightly as you can cause it injuries like bruising and hold it as you would feel comfortable
king snakes have the ability to musk when threatened and its not pleasant but thankfully most don’t do it
Sexing your king snake
Some breeders and experienced keepers can tell the snakes sex by tail length or popping the tails when they are a few days old or more but this should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets because in the wrong hands or done after that period you risk harming your snake and damaging the hermiphene in male snakes but the almost 100% way to definitely sex your snake is probing, this also should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets as again can cause serious injury or damage which ultimately could kill your snake in which involves a blunt steel rod being inserted into the cloaca/vent of your snake and depending how many sub caudal scales it goes up will determine the sex of your snake.
The Californian king snake (lampropeltis getula californiae) is a medium sized snake which are part of a group of snakes called colubrids which are a group of non venomous snakes…king snakes are increasingly popular as pets due to their small size and general calm nature with exceptions to some individuals and nervous animals and feed well in captivity usually being quite greedy feeders too which is a plus sign for the beginner keeper in which can be a worrying time for any keeper when a snakes showing reluctance to eat particularly when it’s a young individual, being non venomous aggression is its only defence in which it rattles its tail against any loose terrain which mimics the deadly rattlesnakes (Crotalus species) and most animals are familiar in that area to the rattle that means ‘danger’ so the animal is left alone or striking at predators is another deterrent.
Lampropeltis means ‘shiny shield’ in Greek which could be reference to its smooth shiny scales particularly around the dorsal area.
king snakes get their names from preying on other snakes in the wild even tackling such dangerous snakes that inhabit their environments such as the rattlesnakes which some claim they have a immunity to their potent venom but not sure whether this is true or due to its thick smooth escalation the fangs are unable to penetrate enough to administer a deadly bite ,they are overpowered by constriction in which all non venomous do to dispatch of prey and the animal soon slips away due to asphyxiation(lack of oxygen) before it is eaten by the snake but being opportunist feeders they will eat rodents,frogs,birds and even fish
king snakes consist of 8 family speices and are closely related to the milksnakes(Lampropeltis triangulum)
The families are:
Alterna:
grey banded king snakes(alterna and blairi)
Calligaster
Prairie/mole king snakes
(calligaster,rhomblaculata,occipitolineata)
Getalus
Common king snakes
(californiae,Holbrook,niger,floridanus,splendida,nigrita)
Mexicana
Mexican king snakes
(thayeri,mexicana,greeri)
Pyromenola
Mountain king snakes around the Sonora area
(pyromenola,woodini,knoblochi,infralabalis)
Ruthveni
Ruthvens king snake
(ruthveni)
Triangulum
The milksnakes
(abnormal,sinoloane,Campbelli,hondurensis.amaura,andesine,annulata,arcifera,blanchardi,calaenops,conanti,dixoni,elapsoides(which is the scarlet king snake),gaigae,gentiles,metropolis,multistrata,nelsoni,oligozona,polyzona,smithi,stuarti,syspila,taylori,triangulim)
Zonata
Californian moutain king snakes
(algama,herrarae,multicincta,parvirubra,pulchra,zonata)
Distribution
As the name suggests the common king snake originate in California which is situated in northern America but generally king snakes are widespread throughout northern and central America where they inhabit grasslands,moutain areas and woodland areas where they seek refuge in burrows and crevices during times of inactivity to keep away from predators and to keep out the sun with them being crespular animals(active only when light levels are low) and seek heat from rocks, being cold blooded which means they are unable to regulate their own body they have to find other means of warming up they do this by basking on warm rocks that have been warmed by the sun during the day or warm roads .
Appearance and size
The king snake is a thick bodied snake with a small head barely wider than its neck
Its scalation is unkeeled so is smooth to the touch and very thick scaling compared to other species of snakes and markings and patterning are variable and dependant on type, their mouths aren’t as elastic/stretchy as other snakes so in a captive environment finding suitable sized prey is needed.
Californian king snakes attain lengths of 4ft -5ft but 6ft and larger specimens are heard of quite occasionally so are a very easily managed species for anyone wanting to keep pet snakes especially to those who want to keep more species of colubrids after the corn snake(Pantherophis guttatus) which is one of the most widely kept colubrids in the world of reptile keeping.
The Californian king snakes come in many different patterning and colours which adds to their popularity
They include
Albino
These type lack any dark colouration(melanin) so are white in colour with yellow markings around its body and red/pink eyes…they are getting increasing more widely available and there are lavender types(albino banana phase) that display areas of purple/lavender coloration.
Aberrant
Displays unusual looking markings on its body
Banana and chocolate type
These snakes have dark yellow and brown coloured markings on their body
banded
They have banded markings going down their body which is the most commonly seen Californian king snake available
Coastal and desert phase
The coastal types have very dark yellow colouration as the lighter colour whereas desert phases are white
Dot dash
This is given to calis that have broken stripes which resemble dashes and dots
Striped
These snake have a vertical stripe going all the way down their body
Many of these can be sourced through breeders if you have any difficulty finding the king snake you are after
housing in captivity
king snake housing is relatively easy to get and set up and a large range of housing is available for snakes in many pet shops today….security is one of the most important things when considering your snakes housing as king snakes are very good escape artists and very clever/inquisitive to the slightest hole/gap left and is amazing how little they are able to squeeze through.
Wooden vivariums are a good cage for adult king snakes being very securely built and with only the front viewable it has a calming effect on nervous/new snakes as it gives them a sense of security and with vents fitted allows good air circulation as well as coming in many different sizes
Plastic housing such as geoflats,conticos,large boxes are also used with high success with keeping king snakes as they also have the advantage of variety of sizes and secure fitting lids many of which are clipped from the outside which means the snake cannot open it from inside the cage or try and squeeze out
Glass tanks used in fish keeping are very ill fitting with regards to lids and don’t really allow much air circulation but there are ranges that are suitable for reptiles like the perfecto range so worth looking out for
A good sized vivarium for a large sized king snake of up to 6ft in length would be a 3ft long cage but large conticos and other housing has been used successfully of which a good substrate needs to be used and is really up to personal preference to what to use but substrates such as newspaper, aspen and shop bought bark are very popular but is worth looking out for with particle substrate such as small wood chips as they are very easily swallowed while feeding and can cause real problems to the snake even fatally injuring it so putting kitchen towel on top of the substrate during feeding days or even putting the food item on a small saucer are good preventive measures
Being of a cannibalistic nature it may not be the best idea to introduce two snakes in the same cage except during breeding(even then unfortunate incidents are known to happen)
Heating the cage is either by heat mat or headlamp(heat bulbs or CHE(ceramic heater) of which must be controlled by a thermostat that is designed to control such equipment(pulse is best as high load and perfect for controlling non light emitting equipment and can be used to heat multiple cages dependant on wattage output) and if using bulbs a guard must be fitted….both of which will stop your snake sustaining injuries or overheating both of which are extremely fatal and with heat mats make sure there is an air gap to allow efficient heating and use of the heat mat and to prevent malfunctioning of equipment which could ultimately cause fires….king snakes do well at a temperature of 80-83f with a drop to 78f at night and room humidity is fine as well as the water bowl being put nearer the hot end of your cage.
The interior of the cage is up to personal preference with regards to decoration but good additions include secure branches as although king snakes mainly are ground dwelling as wild animals they do enjoy the occasional climb if provided and cork bark and bits of wood make good hiding places for snakes but make sure all are free from sharp edges which could injure the snake and stable enough to hold the snakes weight comfortably and treated with miltons or any reptile disinfectants prior to be put back in the cage after thorough washing afterwards to kill germs and to keep your snake healthy and a good sized water bowl that is big enough for a snake to submerge is another good addition to the terrarium (dog bowls are good for adult snakes as difficult to tip and very easy to clean)
Food and feeding
king snakes although an eater of reptiles in the wild are easily got into feeding on defrosted mice and rats at hatchling stage and are greedy feeders so are generally not a problem and feeding from frozen is cheaper to buy as are available in many sizes and theres no danger of injury or suffering to the rodent if it was alive.
Defrosting before feeding can be done in many ways like defrosting them in a warm place naturally or submerging them in warm water until defrosted then dried which also has an advantage of raising the body heat of the prey
most snakes will take the food item if you wiggle it with a pair of forceps(you can risk being bitten if using your fingers) until the snake grabs it which is called ‘’strike feeding’’ whereas others prefer to feed off the ground of in the privacy of their hide box.
In some cases you get the odd reluctant feeder which will not take the mice/rats easily so hers a few pointers:
*braining the rodent which involves splitting the rodents skull and exposing the brain and the snake upon smelling this should take it with no problems
*splitting the stomach which involves splitting it and it does the same purpose as skull splitting
*washing the rodent and handling it as little as possible could be another way to get it feeding as it might smell you on there
*scenting it with chick or mouse in the case of rats could trigger a feeding response or rubbing lizard skin on there as snakes are opportunist feeders in the wild so worth a try to the captives
Once these methods have been exhausted pre killed is another option with the above methods used then and after this has been exhausted assist feeding and should only be attempted as a last resort as can cause added stress to the snake may be an option but all the above methods have proved successful so you should have no problems.
Handling your snake
When first acquiring a young king snake try and resist the temptation of handling the snake until it is feeding regular and it has fully settled into its new environment, some king snakes can be a little nervous when you handle them for the first time and shake their tail and strike but take things slowly and they calm down to accept handling very well but like everything you do the odd exception which is down to the individual really(like people)which can be aggressive and not take to handling as well as you’d hoped
Its best not to handle snakes 48 hours after a feed too as to not risk regurgitation or not being confident in handling the snake as you can risk injuring the snake even a fall from a small height can still hurt a snake
The best way to handle a snake of their size is to support the snakes body at two places and gently let it glide between your hands freely, don’t hold them too tightly as you can cause it injuries like bruising and hold it as you would feel comfortable
king snakes have the ability to musk when threatened and its not pleasant but thankfully most don’t do it
Sexing your king snake
Some breeders and experienced keepers can tell the snakes sex by tail length or popping the tails when they are a few days old or more but this should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets because in the wrong hands or done after that period you risk harming your snake and damaging the hermiphene in male snakes but the almost 100% way to definitely sex your snake is probing, this also should only be carried out by experienced keepers or reptile vets as again can cause serious injury or damage which ultimately could kill your snake in which involves a blunt steel rod being inserted into the cloaca/vent of your snake and depending how many sub caudal scales it goes up will determine the sex of your snake.