Looking for Helpful Kingsnake Info~

[ThatOneSpazz2]

Hello all!
Now that everything seems to have cleared, I'll gladly post this here:

Sometime in the future, I am planning to get a pretty California Kingsnake~ ! A Morph most likely-- possibly a Banana, Mosaic or Speckled!

But, on that note: I am religiously researching to make sure that when I DO get my King, we can both start off really well, without too many hiccups or drastic changes/fixes in the beginning!

I know the "basics" so to speak:

• Temp Gradient of 85-75/70 degrees Fahrenheit with a hot spot in the 90's.
• PROBABLY Aspen bedding, tho knowing me I'll likely wind up with a safe mix of one or two, Aspen included.
• Enclosure being around 4-5 ft width-- maybe 2-3 height, in case I get a climber.
• Feeding and all that~

Basics~

But ANY and all extra help yal' can give otherwise would be appreciated!
Ideas, opinions-- specific info from experience and other things.

Anything, honest to heck~ !
I wanna be prepared WELL in advance of getting my noodle~

Thanks, everyone~ !

[Aaron_S]

You got everything to go. Get it and enjoy.

[craigafrechette]

Good on you for being prepared!! Kings are some of my favorite snakes. They're awesome animals that are pretty easy to keep. They're extremely hardy and are pretty much always fantastic eaters.

I wouldn't get your hot spot that high though. With my King (and Kings in the past) I just run overhead heat. I keep a gradient with the warm side 84-6ish and cool side 74-6ish.

Also, I personally can't stand Aspen. But it's more a personal preference for me. It works fine for Kings since they don't require additional humidity.
I just can't stand it. It's messy and I personally don't like how it looks. But again, that's just me. I use a blend of EcoEarth and ReptiBark.

Kings are phenomenal escape artists, so be absolutely positive u ur enclosure is escape proof. They can fit through holes much smaller than you might think.

If you're planning on getting a juvenile they can be really quick and flighty, so make sure the area/room you're handling in is safe and as escape proof as possible.

I'm not quite sure what to add right now, but feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

[ThatOneSpazz2]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

You got everything to go. Get it and enjoy.

COOL! That's awesome to know in advance-- I was sure there'd be more to the basics than just that!

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Good on you for being prepared!! Kings are some of my favorite snakes. They're awesome animals that are pretty easy to keep. They're extremely hardy and are pretty much always fantastic eaters.

I wouldn't get your hot spot that high though. With my King (and Kings in the past) I just run overhead heat. I keep a gradient with the warm side 84-6ish and cool side 74-6ish.

Also, I personally can't stand Aspen. But it's more a personal preference for me. It works fine for Kings since they don't require additional humidity.
I just can't stand it. It's messy and I personally don't like how it looks. But again, that's just me. I use a blend of EcoEarth and ReptiBark.

Kings are phenomenal escape artists, so be absolutely positive u ur enclosure is escape proof. They can fit through holes much smaller than you might think.

If you're planning on getting a juvenile they can be really quick and flighty, so make sure the area/room you're handling in is safe and as escape proof as possible.

I'm not quite sure what to add right now, but feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

Thanks! I had amazing luck with my boy Mopani, due to his original owner I rescued him from giving me just about as much "extra" info as I could ever want. XD

This time around though, I plan on prepping myself LONG before, though~ ! Like...Years.

I am quite sure it'll be years before I can get my noodle.
So I have time to prepare~ Hehe!

-- Aaaah I figured as much. I did have a pretty little Rosy Boa years ago, but...Yea, little dude got out. TWICE.
One would think the sure amount of insane escape-proofing I did after the first time would suffice, but...Nope.
My little Linguino got out for the second, and LAST time back then. Never saw the poor guy again.

Knowing how squirmy and houdini-esk the youngsters are, that DOES worry me a bit.
Hopefully I can rectify that with a much more secure enclosure-- as in plastic, or PVC probably, rather than a classic tank.
-- Most of that cage-esk stuff is also personal preference, much like with you and the Aspen, though!

Speaking of Aspen, I may mix it with something else, as said, simply because Kings don't need crazy humidity-- but either way, I'd love suggestions!

One other thing I definitely have questions about is exactly HOW to go about heating him/her?
I know UTH is a go-to, but I am debating a RHP too, since as with the temps, I've seen some mixed thoughts on that too.

Truly, you wouldn't suggest going that high, though?
Everywhere else I've looked always suggested a hot spot in the 90s! 90-95, usually.
I'm literally trying to gather as much info as possible, so I apologize for practically squeezing all this knowledge out of you. X'3

[craigafrechette]

Happy to help.

If you're getting your suggested temps from caresheets floating around the internet keep in mind many of them are old and outdated. My temps in my King enclosure never get anywhere 90, nevermind 95. They definitely thrive at lower temps than many species in captivity.

If a RHP is in the budget I would 100% go that route. You wouldn't need any other heat sources. Run your RHP through a thermostat and that's it, good to go.
It'll take a little tinkering to get the temps dialed in, but once it's set you're good to go. Just double check daily to make sure equipment is working.

I have a few RHPs, but not in my Kings enclosure. I just heat with a lamp on a thermostat. During the winter I have to run 2, but the rest of the year 1 is enough.

If you're worried about another escape or the tiny juveniles you could always go with a sub adult or adult. They're a little tougher to find, but they're always available.

[ThatOneSpazz2]

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Happy to help.

If you're getting your suggested temps from caresheets floating around the internet keep in mind many of them are old and outdated. My temps in my King enclosure never get anywhere 90, nevermind 95. They definitely thrive at lower temps than many species in captivity.

If a RHP is in the budget I would 100% go that route. You wouldn't need any other heat sources. Run your RHP through a thermostat and that's it, good to go.
It'll take a little tinkering to get the temps dialed in, but once it's set you're good to go. Just double check daily to make sure equipment is working.

I have a few RHPs, but not in my Kings enclosure. I just heat with a lamp on a thermostat. During the winter I have to run 2, but the rest of the year 1 is enough.

If you're worried about another escape or the tiny juveniles you could always go with a sub adult or adult. They're a little tougher to find, but they're always available.

Oooh, neat that is great to hear!
I was definitely leaning toward RHP, so that helps~ !

...And that does explain that. XD I'll leave the hotspot lower and just carefully tinker with it, then. To see how it goes/how my eventual noodle handles it.
The one that can give you the BEST answers is the one living in the enclosure, after all!

Ah I was thinking about possibly trying for a sub-adult, or an adult, but I wasn't sure.
Thank you! I may just try and see if I can get a slightly older one after all~

Thank you so much for the helpful info!

[craigafrechette]

Originally Posted by ThatOneSpazz2

Oooh, neat that is great to hear!
I was definitely leaning toward RHP, so that helps~ !

...And that does explain that. XD I'll leave the hotspot lower and just carefully tinker with it, then. To see how it goes/how my eventual noodle handles it.
The one that can give you the BEST answers is the one living in the enclosure, after all!

Ah I was thinking about possibly trying for a sub-adult, or an adult, but I wasn't sure.
Thank you! I may just try and see if I can get a slightly older one after all~

Thank you so much for the helpful info!

My pleasure!