Cali King Enclosure

[jarich]

Originally Posted by Corey209

Just a boa, I want to give the option to burrow if she wants. Not really a fan of clay because it gets nasty with moisture nor sand.

Would top soil make the jungle mix easier to burrow in? and what ratios do you think would work well?

I haven't had much experience with substrate besides douglas fir and eco earth, I'm trying to do something nicer for my snakes.

Ya topsoil will make it able to hold a burrow. Start with a 70/30 mix of topsoil to eco earth or jungle mix and see how well it holds. If you can make a ball out of it and it holds together, then it'll hold the burrow.

[Corey209]

Originally Posted by jarich

Ya topsoil will make it able to hold a burrow. Start with a 70/30 mix of topsoil to eco earth or jungle mix and see how well it holds. If you can make a ball out of it and it holds together, then it'll hold the burrow.

I'll definitely try that with some jungle mix, thanks for the information.

[monitorlizard]

California Kingsnakes come from the desert though...

[Corey209]

Originally Posted by monitorlizard

California Kingsnakes come from the desert though...

I've lived in California all my life and never have I lived near a desert. Growing up Cali King's would roam all over my property through logs, gopher holes and anything basically they could get into.

[monitorlizard]

From what I have read California Kingsnakes are predominately collected from deserts, scrub lands, savannahs, praries and dry areas. While they don't all necessarily come from deserts, the cage looks almost tropical.

Wild Cali's:
Brian Gundy Herping For Cal Kings - YouTube
Brian Gundy While Herping Caught Baby Cal King - YouTube
field herping- king snake and rattler recatch - YouTube

[poison123]

Anything from youtube can kiss my butt. I to live in cali and cali kings are found in several different environments. Most of the ones I've found were in more humid and shady areas. With lakes near by.

[poison123]

Btw jarich this enclosure looks great. Notice any burrowing?

[jarich]

Originally Posted by monitorlizard

From what I have read California Kingsnakes are predominately collected from deserts, scrub lands, savannahs, praries and dry areas. While they don't all necessarily come from deserts, the cage looks almost tropical.

Wild Cali's:
Brian Gundy Herping For Cal Kings - YouTube
Brian Gundy While Herping Caught Baby Cal King - YouTube
field herping- king snake and rattler recatch - YouTube

I suppose that's kind of like saying humans live in the tropics. We do, but we are a highly adaptive species that lives in every different habitat. Similarly with Cali kingsnakes, who live in pretty much every habitat west of the Rockies. Either way, the enclosure is by no means tropical as I let the humidity fluctuate from 40-50%.

Thanks Poison, and yes, he burrows a lot! There are burrows all through there to the point that I'm concerned about the plant roots.

[monitorlizard]

Alright, after a little more research, they do come from places that have more humidity than a desert, but less then a tropical rain forest.
That is a nice cage nonetheless, what plants are you using?

[Corey209]

Originally Posted by monitorlizard

Alright, after a little more research, they do come from places that have more humidity than a desert, but less then a tropical rain forest.
That is a nice cage nonetheless, what plants are you using?

My cities average humidity is 45% and we have plenty of cali kings, his cage is 40-50% nothing like a tropical rain forest.

[concinnusman]

Originally Posted by poison123

Anything from youtube can kiss my butt. I to live in cali and cali kings are found in several different environments. Most of the ones I've found were in more humid and shady areas. With lakes near by.

Gotta agree with that. In fact, the only habitat where I DON'T find them in CA is the interior deserts. Coastal scrub, grasslands, oak/juniper woodlands, and even coniferous forests in Oregon is where I find them. Particularly if there is permanent or at least seasonal water nearby. The californiae ssp. specifically avoids hot dry deserts.

Doesn't matter much if the enclosure looks tropical or woodland. Dry loose substrate, mildly warm temperatures and moderate humidity is all that matters. They're pretty flexible as long as it's not total desert or soaking rainforest.

Originally Posted by monitorlizard

Alright, after a little more research, they do come from places that have more humidity than a desert, but less then a tropical rain forest.

Yes, it's not like they come from particularly wet habitats/climates but the fact is they actually avoid the drier, hotter interior deserts and high elevations which is why in SoCal they are found only near the coast. They don't seem to care if the habitat is scrub, grassland, or forest as long as it's not soaking wet or hot and barren.

[ilovemypets1988]

what about getting some hanging plants and let them "crawl" along the substrate, the plants will have a single root system and yet expand throughout the entire enclosure, plus, some comes with loads of flowers

[jarich]

Originally Posted by monitorlizard

Alright, after a little more research, they do come from places that have more humidity than a desert, but less then a tropical rain forest.
That is a nice cage nonetheless, what plants are you using?

Thank you, the plants are pothos and vinca.

They will soon take over this enclosure as both are ground cover vine type plants. The vinca does actually flower.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Originally Posted by ilovemypets1988

what about getting some hanging plants and let them "crawl" along the substrate, the plants will have a single root system and yet expand throughout the entire enclosure, plus, some comes with loads of flowers

Creeping Jenny/Moneywort does that...and then some

[Deej85]

I have a Cali King and would like to do something similar.

Does water sit in the gravel layer and how do you empty it?

Is there a problem with humidity at all?

What lights are you using?