Do you mind having a pet for which you will need a lot of patience and work?
Can you provide a large enclosure with a secure lid for a California kingsnake?
Can you provide a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit at one end of an enclosure and 70 degrees at the other end?
Can you provide live prey or frozen mice for a California kingsnake at least once a week?
Do you have an exotic veterinarian who specializes in reptiles?
Even though California kingsnakes have been captive bred for generations, this snake is still wild by nature. A new kingsnake might take a defensive stance and shake its tail and strike at you. It may defecate or urinate on you when you pick it up. With regular, gentle handling, a California kingsnake should settle in and become more docile. Don’t handle your snake when it is about to shed. The way to detect this is that their eyes will look “milky” or bluish.
A general rule is that if the snake crawls around the perimeter of the cage and doesn’t cover more than 2/3 of the distance, the cage is large enough – but bigger is better. A baby California kingsnake can live in a shoebox-sized cage for several months until it outgrows it. An adult California kingsnake requires a 20-gallon reptile terrarium or larger enclosure. Be sure it has a secure, escape-proof opening. If there is a weakness, the kingsnake will find it and escape.
California kingsnakes thermoregulate in the wild. They move about to find and maintain (when they can) a preferred temperature. In captivity, you should have a warm end and a cool end of your cage. Try to achieve 85 degrees Fahrenheit at one end and in the 70s at the cool end. There are many heaters, pads, cables, and tape available from dealers to accomplish this but do not use “hot rocks,” the heat is too centralized and can cause burns.
In the wild, California kingsnakes will eat just about any animal or bird small enough to be overpowered and swallowed whole, including rattlesnakes. In captivity, they should be fed rodents, usually mice, which are readily available. You can offer live reptile food or well-thawed frozen mice. Live adult mice can inflict wounds on your kingsnake. Fresh killed is a safer choice. Feeding once a week will maintain your California kingsnake, but the snake will grow faster if you feed it twice a week or more if it will take it.
You can take care of a California kingsnake!
California kingsnakes are prone to mouth rot, or infectious stomatitis. This painful bacterial infection of the mouth displays as saliva bubbles, as well as inflammation in and around the snake's mouth. California kingsnakes also are susceptible to fungal and respiratory infections. If your snake is breathing with its mouth open or is wheezing, these are signs of a respiratory problem. All of those conditions require treatment by a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles.
https://www.reptilesmagazine.com/california-kingsnake-care-sheet/
Sreten null
Hi! I’m Sreten Filipović. I graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade, with a master's degree in Environmental Protection in Agricultural Systems. I’ve worked as a researcher at Finland's Natural Resources Institute (LUKE) on a project aimed at adapting south-western Finland to drought episodes. I founded a consulting agency in the field of environment and agriculture to help farmers who want to implement the principles of sustainability on their farms. I’m also a founding member of the nonprofit organization Ecogenesis from Belgrade whose main goal is non-formal education on the environment and ecology. In my spare time, I like to write blog posts about sustainability, the environment, animal farming, horticulture, and plant protection. I’ve also published several science-fiction short stories.
You can find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreten-filipovi%C4%87-515aa5158/
