California Kingsnakes make excellent pets. These amazing snakes are widely available, very affordable and easy to care for. They are very interesting to observe and easy to handle.
Before we talk about all the reasons California kingsnakes make great pet snakes let’s learn just a little about them.
The California kingsnake is part of the largest “family” of snakes called colubrids. They are nonvenomous and can be found in northern Mexico and across the western United States in a variety of habitats.
They get their name because (in the wild) part of their primary diet actually includes eating other snakes! They are resistant to rattlesnake venom and are actually known to overpower and consume them. This is why they are considered the “king of snakes”.
Baby Californina kingsnakes are about 8 to 12 inches and adults can reach a length of about 5 feet. They have an average lifespan of about 10-15 years but can live up to 20 years or more in captivity.
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California kingsnakes have long been kept as pets and are one of the first snakes to be bred in captivity. They are widely considered one of the very best pet snakes a person can own. Next, we will look into all the reasons why and some things to consider before you purchase one.
California Kingsnakes Are:
- Easy to care for
- Very hardy
- A manageable size
- Easy to handle
- Available
- Affordable
Considerations
- They eat rodents
- They may bite sometimes
Why California Kingsnakes Make Great Pet Snakes
Easy to Care For
California kingsnakes are considered very easy to care for. You are not required to have advanced level reptile husbandry skills to keep one. This means that you can make mistakes and your snake will survive.
This makes them great pets for beginners or anyone for that matter. Having said this, it is always best to learn as much as you can about a potential snake before you buy them. This doesn’t mean you have to know everything. You can learn as you go.
Your California kingsnake will need a moderately sized enclosure. Baby kingsnakes can be kept in a 10-gallon sized tank and adults will need at least a 20-gallon sized tank, but bigger is better. Make sure your kingsnake’s enclosure has a very secure lid preferably with some kind of latch.
Like many snakes, California kings are escape artists. If there is a way to get out, they will get out. It’s not a matter of if but when.
You will also need to provide a heat source which is best achieved using an under-tank heating mat and a thermostat. Be sure to buy one that is specially made for reptiles. Don’t forget the thermostat.
Heating mats have been known to malfunction at times causing them to overheat and harm or possibly kill the snake they are designed to keep warm and healthy.
Even though these products are generally very safe and malfunctioning has become very rare due to better quality products, it is still a good idea to take the extra step to ensure it doesn’t happen.
You can also achieve a warm enough habitat for your snake by using an over the tank heat lamp. Try to achieve a “hot spot” of about 85 degrees on one side of the tank. If you want to watch your kingsnake as he explores the cage this might be a preferable option.
California kingsnakes do not require special lighting. This is great news for an owner who doesn’t want to deal with expensive specialized bulbs and fixtures.
You will also need to make sure you provide a water dish, a place to hide and a suitable substrate.
California kingsnakes, like many other snakes, only need to eat about once a week. This is great especially if you are a particularly busy person. Their prey items are small (usually frozen thawed adult mice) and easy to obtain.
You can buy several at a time and just keep them in the freezer until it’s time to feed your snake. This eliminates the need to make several trips to the pet store and makes things much more convenient and hassle free.
Very Hardy
As mentioned above, California kingsnakes can tolerate their owners mistakes much better than many exotic pets. This is because they are incredibly hardy.
Part of the reason for this is that they occur naturally in the wild in a wide variety of habitats that can sometimes have large temperature fluctuations.
For the beginner or any snake owner for that matter, it’s great to know your snake has a strong immune system, can tolerate the occasional error in care and can live through a power outage or two.
Their overall hardiness also makes them ideal for handling.
Easy to handle
California kingsnakes can reach a length of up to 5 feet, but because of their slender build even a 5-foot kingsnake is very manageable and a joy to handle.
They are alert, active and constantly moving around. This can make it fun to interact with them. They are also docile. For this reason, California kingsnakes have often been used in reptile education programs and demonstrations.
Available
California kingsnakes are widely available in pet shops, online, reptile expos and from breeders. We always recommend purchasing animals from a breeder.
As mentioned earlier California kingsnakes are one of the first snakes to be bred in captivity. They are easy to breed which makes them more available.
Affordable
The average cost of a baby California kingsnake is about $70 to $100 U.S. dollars. Some popular morphs may cost closer to $200 dollars.
As you can see there are many reasons a California kingsnake makes a great pet. There are however some things you need to take into consideration before you buy one. Let’s take a look at those next.
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Considerations
They Eat Rodents
As mentioned above they eat mice. Some people have a hard time with this. This is part of the circle of life and if your snake is going to stay alive you are going to need to feed it.
Snakes eat other animals and the easiest way to feed your pet California kingsnake is to feed them mice which are available online or at your local pet shop.
If this is a challenge for you and makes you squeamish then a snake probably isn’t the best option for you.
May Bite Sometimes
Part of the reason California kingsnakes are so hardy is that they are great eaters. Owners rarely have problems with their kingsnake refusing to eat. In fact, they eat so readily it’s not too uncommon for people to feed their snake too much, resulting in an obese animal.
Because California kingsnakes have such a high energy feeding response. Anything that smells like food is fair game. For this reason, they sometimes bite when being handled.
If you have been handling your cat, then go to pick up your kingsnake, you could get bit. If the only time you open the snake’s enclosure is to feed him, then you decide you want to hold him one day, you could get bit.
If you have been handling another pet snake such as a ball python or corn snake and you smell like another snake, the king of snakes may just mistake you for something to eat.
If you have been handling your California kingsnake and you smell like your California kingsnake you may get bit.
So just keep in mind that there is a possibility your kingsnake will bite you.
DO NOT worry. They are non-venomous. Their bites are not horribly powerful and even though this can happen doesn’t mean it will happen and certainly not on a regular basis.
At least one thing you can do to help prevent this is to wash your hands before you handle your kingsnake.
Conclusion
No snake or lizard is the absolute perfect pet but there are some that come pretty close. The California kingsnake is one of them. They make excellent pet snakes for beginners and experienced keepers alike. If you are considering a California kingsnake we hope this information has been helpful.