Hello! Snake Nooblet here!

TGMidnight · 03-01-15, 08:11 AM

Hello I am new to snakes, well reptiles in general and had a few questions since this site seems to be more active than other sites I've looked up.

I'm wanting to get a king snake in a few months, but don't know really where to start and I'd like to get all the information needed before jumping into the world of reptiles.

First thing first; what type of tank/cage do I need? Do I need a flat tank or a tall/standing one, which one would be better for a Kingsnake?
I would like to build a vivarium tank for my snake further down the road, but don't know if this would be a good thing for a snake since most videos or articles I have seen/read has a snake in plain clear plastic tub. Can I put any other animal with the Kingsnake? As the name applies I'm pretty sure I can't, just want some clarification on that before I put another animal in danger.
Knowing the snake is going need heat; what is better? A heating lamp, heating rock or a heating pad? I do know that it needs a hot side and a cool side, so what tempts do both sides need to be at?

What types of food can I feed the snake other than frozen pinkies? (small baby mammals I assume?) There is a gas station down the road that sells many types of fishing bait such as minnows and other small insects.
I was reading up about breeding dubia roaches, but taking a guess with a carnivore, the snake is going need more than just roaches.
If so what are some easy and low maintenance feeders that I could breed?

Sorry don't mean to post a wall of text, I'd rather have all the information other than strong head first into a hobby I have no clue about (again). lol

If there is anything else I need to know, please share your experience and knowledge! Thank you very much for your time!

~ Midnight

**millertime89** · 03-01-15, 02:54 PM

bigsnakegirl785 · 03-01-15, 03:31 PM

Hello and welcome.

Kingsnakes are terrestrial from what I understand, so more floor space is important, although they wouldn't complain if you gave them something to climb on. Anything Length+Width that is equal to or longer than the snake's length will work. Doesn't matter if it's a tank, tub, vivarium, or PVC enclosure, all will work if they're the right size.

Very few snakes can be co-habitated, and kingsnakes definitely shouldn't as other snakes are their natural diet.

No heat rocks at all, unless you cut the wire off, seal it, and use it as a decoration. CHE's, RHP's, UTH's, and heat tape are all acceptable ways to heat your snake's enclosure. I personally prefer overhead heat, but that's because my apartment gets cold. If your home is 75-80+ or you heat their room to that, belly heat alone should work. Heat lamps are generally looked down upon, but as long as it's hooked up to a thermostat that supports it, and you can figure out a way to maintain humidity it should work. I just advise putting lights on a timer to turn off at night, or putting a red bulb on a dimmer so it doesn't disturb their nighttime activities.

I'd advise just sticking to rats and mice for your kingsnake, as it's a whole diet and they don't really eat fish or insects in the wild. It's mostly snakes and mammals. With fish, you also have to watch out for thiaminase, which can kill them if they become too deficient in Vitamin D. The only snake species I know that can eat insects specifically are rough green snakes, others either eat fish, mammals, birds, worms, or slugs.

If you have any other questions, feel free to create a new thread, where kingsnake keepers can help you out with more specific questions (if you haven't already).

TGMidnight · 03-03-15, 07:34 AM

Sorry for the late reply (I work 3rd shift at a factory 12hrs a night) thanks for the info, very much appreciated!
Yeah I'll make another post when I can. Oh one more, where would I get said supplies? I was looking at LLLreptiles, but they charge S&H for all items, and petsmart/co are WAY overpriced and quite limited on their stuff. I was thinking amazon, but their tanks are pretty pricey just for a flat 10g =/ lol

bigsnakegirl785 · 03-03-15, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TGMidnight

Sorry for the late reply (I work 3rd shift at a factory 12hrs a night) thanks for the info, very much appreciated!
Yeah I'll make another post when I can. Oh one more, where would I get said supplies? I was looking at LLLreptiles, but they charge S&H for all items, and petsmart/co are WAY overpriced and quite limited on their stuff. I was thinking amazon, but their tanks are pretty pricey just for a flat 10g =/ lol

No problem.

I get most of my supplies from Petsmart or I make them myself. Most of my hides are home-made (by home-made I mean I cut an entrance into something haha), though. If you have a Micheal's nearby, they have a good selection of fake plants. Their vines are still very expensive, but the others are a bit more reasonably priced than Petsmart's plants, and much bigger! LLLReptile should be a good place to get most of your decorations, I don't really know of anywhere else other than them and pet stores where you can buy stuff like that. You can use dipping containers for hides for smaller snakes, just cut an entrance and smooth the sides. You can also use cardboard, and snakes seem to be particularly fond of paper towel and toilet paper tubes. You can cut branches off of trees and use them as things to climb on and as decoration, just let it dry for a few weeks to a few months if you cut it off a tree, and if your enclosure is made of wood I'd advise treating it. I've seen people make styrofoam backgrounds with grout and stains, the possibilities are endless.

**Pareeeee** · 03-04-15, 06:05 PM

FORUM RULES

Jrich · 03-04-15, 08:57 PM

Buying tanks online is pretty expensive. I just buy the plastic tubs at Walmart or the aquariums at petco because sometimes they'll have a sale for a $1 a gallon. So 10gallons is $10,20gal $20 and so on. If you don't want to wait for a sale then it's still cheaper I do believe. Like bigsnakegirl mentioned above, paper towel/toilet paper rolls are great hides and my snakes prefer them over the fancier ones sold at the pet store. Learned that the hard way. I also use the plastic containers lunch meat comes in or the super nice plastic takeout containers my local Chinese food place offers for water dishes or hides after a thorough wash. I used a shoebox lid as a low lying hide forever for one of my snakes. It isn't the prettiest of decor but usually I cover it up with substrate. I've bought plastic plants cheap at Walmart or the dollar store and did a nice cleaning and cut some up for extra privacy for the snake too. The possibilities are endless. Best of luck!

bigsnakegirl785 · 03-06-15, 09:27 AM

I think the $1/gallon sale is limited to certain places, and only works for certain sizes, but is a good way to get smaller tanks for cheap. I'd also look on CL for used tanks, you can get them cheap on there, just CLEAN THOROUGHLY.

Obsidian_Dragon · 03-06-15, 01:13 PM

I ordered supplies from Petco online--if you order ENOUGH, shipping is free, and setting up a new snake is usually enough, haha. Plus they tend to offer discounts online.

For tanks, I got mine during the $1 a gallon say (a 20 long). I'd start with that size at the smallest, really, as it'll last you awhile.

sharthun · 03-07-15, 10:39 AM

Hey and welcome.