New snake soon! some questions!

[FLUGATRON]

Hello! This is my first post on these forums and i have a few questions about a snake i plan on getting within the next few weeks, i am aiming to get a young California Kingsnake. have been doing my research and have only come across a few questions:
1. I have a 36x18x12 exoterra that i have previously used, and was wondering if i could put the snake directly into it. I also have a 30x12x12 tank available, but I'd have to modify it a bit. It would be much easier to use the exo terra, and was just wondering if this is a possibility.

2. What temperature ranges would you guys recommend? I have come across many different opinions.

3. Do i need a humid hide? I have also seen conflicting opinions about this.

4. How big should feeders be compared to the size of the snake?

5. does anyone have a checklist to provide so i don't forget anything?

6. Lastly, ANY NAME SUGGESTIONS!?

Thanks in advance!

[Scubadiver59]

First off, welcome to sSNAKESs!!

1. That ExoTerra is basically a 40gal in size, though a little shorter height-wise. I put each of my two hatchlings, a Corn and King, in similar sized enclosures and never saw them since they burrowed all the time--hence, smaller would be better for your King, but if you go with the larger enclosure, keep the depth of substrate small so it'll come up for air more often. Also, put lots plants (fake), and multiple hides.
2. 75-85F is fine. Most people use UTHs, but CHEs are a good other choice. a basking lamp could also be used in conjunction with a UTH, and help provide overall enclosure heat. Since the Exo is screen topped, you could seal it with aluminum foil and cut a hole for that basking lamp I mentioned...this will help keep the humidity up, which should be 50-60%, and 70%+ when in shed.
3. In some enclosures I provide a Sphagnum Moss bowl 24x7, other times I just mist when I see the snakes go "blue"; but with the burrowers that's hard to see, so I provide the moss which they will either lay on or burrow under to self hydrate. Also, make sure your water dish is big enough for the snake to lay in, but then you have to watch and change the water when they poop in it.
4. Feeders should be either the same size of the thickest part of the snake, or just a little larger. Some here feed multiple small feeders, and some feed one large...I do a little of both with various snakes. For juveniles feed once every 5-7 days, then 10-14 days after a year old...some may offer differing schedules.
5. No checklist here, at least not yet. Spot check and clean up poop daily, change water once a week, watch for shed signs, buy a fine sprayer...the list goes on.
6. More people will chime in shortly with ideas, comments, etc. read other Colubrid threads to get some more info.

Originally Posted by FLUGATRON

Hello! ... a young California Kingsnake.
1. I have a 36x18x12 exoterra that i have previously used, and was wondering if i could put the snake directly into it. I also have a 30x12x12 tank available, but I'd have to modify it a bit. It would be much easier to use the exo terra, and was just wondering if this is a possibility.
2. What temperature ranges would you guys recommend? I have come across many different opinions.
3. Do i need a humid hide? I have also seen conflicting opinions about this.
4. How big should feeders be compared to the size of the snake?
5. does anyone have a checklist to provide so i don't forget anything?
6. Lastly, ANY NAME SUGGESTIONS!?

Thanks in advance!

[trailblazer295]

Welcome to snakes

Your big cage is fine just provide cover and decor to help feel secure. Mine uses every inch she can. Kings are not usually nervous but it comes down to individuals.

I use aspen for bedding so I provide a humid hide around shedding time and let it dry out in between. My king will periodically go in it. I found a humid hide helped with her shedding despite having a large water dish. She never soaks but will stay in the humid hide for a few days until she sheds. I bought a zoomed one for aesthetic appeal but you could make one and make sure there are no sharp edges.

[FLUGATRON]

Thanks for the quick replies!
I just have one more question: What size feeders do you feed to adults? Babies? maybe by length? or if theres a chart I could use that'd be great!

[FLUGATRON]

OOPs! just meant what should i expect in size for feeders, not the actual guidelines.

THX!

[FLUGATRON]

Thanks everyone!
Just one more question: I know that I can go off the width of the snake for feeder size, can i do the same with weight? if so, what ratios?
Thanks!

[Scubadiver59]

There are plenty of charts out there, just query "kingsnake feeding chart".

I don't weigh, I feed by snake body width, and offer multiple prey instead of the one big one.

Originally Posted by FLUGATRON

Thanks everyone!
Just one more question: I know that I can go off the width of the snake for feeder size, can i do the same with weight? if so, what ratios?
Thanks!

[EL Ziggy]

You can feed 10-15% of the snake's body weight as a good baseline. A little bit more or less won't hurt anything.

[TRD]

Heya,

1. Size doesn't matter, providing enough clutter/hides/stuff does

2. Ambient temps: cool side around 24 C / 75 F, warm side around 28 C / 83 F. Surface temperature on the warm side (under the heat light) can be anywhere from 30 C / 86 F to 38 C / 100 F as long as it doesn't influence overall terrarium ambient temps too much.

3. Yes and No. They'll do fine with humidity fluctuating between 30% and 50%. Depending on how your snake behaves they may like a humid hide. If you keep the snake on a very dry bedding (f.e. aspen) then I would say you should offer this, if the snake is on a mixture of topsoil, bark, coco, and sand, then I would say it's not necessary as those materials keep water much better. Contrary to popular believe snakes actually do not require extra humidity during the shed cycle (when eyes are already blue), they need to be able to get enough moisture BEFORE they start shedding. Shedding issues are a general husbandry problem, not a problem that exists only during the shed cycle.

4. 10-15% of the weight of the snake and similar size or slightly bigger than the girth of your snake's belly. Then again, Cali kingsnakes basically eat anything you throw at them. Between 0-1 year, every 5 days, 1-2 years every 5-7 days, 2-3 years every 7 days, 3+ every 7-10 days

5. Euh,
- Good size terrarium with enough hiding spaces on warm, cool, middle area's
- Try not to keep snakes on newspaper, aspen, or other very dry substrates. Provide a humid hide if you do, and clean often (aspen rots readily)
- Provide light by lamps and not UTH, CHE. Snakes can see UVa light and without full spectrum lighting aren't able to see that well
- Ideally a thermostat should not dim the light, if it does significantly does this then your light wattage is too high. Dimmed lights will not provide full spectrum lighting and move into the Infra Red which also results in no UVa output and impacts your snake's vision
- UVb light has some benefits as well, perhaps that's a road to explore at a later state when it's all going well and the snake is settled in
- Observe your snake's behavior, Cali kings should be rather active even during daytime, at least mine are up and about quite often. If your snake is too much on the hot end or cool end then perhaps he/she likes a bit different temperature gradient. It's normal they'll try and break out the terrarium
- About breaking out, especially with baby snakes, if the head fits between something - THE REST WILL TOO. Keep that in mind if you have little holes or sliding doors. You may wish to block those with juvenile snakes using aquarium tube or other methods. Better safe than sorry.

6. Gringo, Bandit?

Originally Posted by FLUGATRON

Hello! This is my first post on these forums and i have a few questions about a snake i plan on getting within the next few weeks, i am aiming to get a young California Kingsnake. have been doing my research and have only come across a few questions:
1. I have a 36x18x12 exoterra that i have previously used, and was wondering if i could put the snake directly into it. I also have a 30x12x12 tank available, but I'd have to modify it a bit. It would be much easier to use the exo terra, and was just wondering if this is a possibility.

2. What temperature ranges would you guys recommend? I have come across many different opinions.

3. Do i need a humid hide? I have also seen conflicting opinions about this.

4. How big should feeders be compared to the size of the snake?

5. does anyone have a checklist to provide so i don't forget anything?

6. Lastly, ANY NAME SUGGESTIONS!?

Thanks in advance!

[FLUGATRON]

Thanks again everyone!
Sorry about posting that same question a few times.... I didn't think they went through and posted.
Im planning on getting y little guy near the beginning of October, and if its a boy I wanna name it Webber or Webster... for a girl I'm not sure.
-FLUGATRON

[FLUGATRON]

Or gringo! I really like that!