Royal magnificent snake. King snake. Lifestyle and habitat of the king snake. Pictured is a striated king snake

King snake belongs to the family Colubridae and is a prominent representative genus Lampropeltis (which in Greek means “sparkling shield”). It received this name due to its specific dorsal scales.

Royal, in turn, this snake was nicknamed because in the wild its favorite delicacy is other snakes, including poisonous ones. The fact is that the body of king snakes is absolutely not susceptible to the poison of its other relatives. There are reliably known cases when representatives of this genus ate even rattlesnakes, considered one of the most dangerous.

Common kingsnake lives mainly in deserts and semi-deserts of North America. It can easily be found in Arizona, Nevada and in the swampy areas of Alabama and Florida.

To date, seven subspecies of these snakes have been quite well studied, which differ from each other not only in color, but also in size, which varies from 80 centimeters to two meters at the most major representatives.

Types of king snakes

California king snake. This variety has a number of differences from other representatives of its species. Firstly, they have a rich dark black or brown color, on which light longitudinal rings clearly stand out.

Pictured is a California king snake

There are even specimens of snow-white color with a beautiful pearlescent tint and pink eyes. We can safely say about her that this is pet king snake for the reason that it takes root well in captivity.

Therefore, it is extremely popular among terrarium keepers from all over the world, who sometimes collect entire collections of similar snakes of the most varied colors.

The photo shows a domestic king snake

Under natural conditions, their main habitat is in the state of California, where they got their name. They live not only in desert and mountainous areas, but also near all kinds of agricultural land not far from people.

Keeping at home

Those who decide to keep such a snake in a terrarium should know that they feed mainly on small rodents, and keeping two or more snakes together in one space is unacceptable because they do not disdain eating their relatives.

King milk snake. On this moment Scientists have counted about 25 subspecies of milky king snakes, the sizes of which range from one to one and a half meters. However, they are all extremely similar to each other and are usually black, orange-red or white-yellow in color.

The photo shows a king milk snake hybrid

Since many representatives of these varieties can easily interbreed with each other, all kinds of hybrids can be found on sale. It is recognized as safe for humans because it is classified as non-toxic.

In captivity, their life expectancy often reaches twenty years. They feed mainly on small mammals, snakes and lizards. Mexican king snake. The main color of this variety is rich brown or gray.

On their head they usually have a darkish pattern resembling the letter “U”; their entire body is covered with quadrangular spots different color with white border. Dimensions vary from one to two meters. There are no significant external differences between females and males.

Pictured is a Mexican king snake

Under natural conditions, its habitat is concentrated in the region of Texas and in small provinces of Mexico, which is how it got its name. She likes to settle in subtropical mixed forests, dominated by pine and oak species.

During the day, she usually hides in narrow crevices of rocks, among thickets of bushes and along slopes overgrown with dense vegetation. The peak of activity occurs at night. This species reproduces by eggs, which the female lays from 15 to 20 eggs at a time.

The photo shows the incubation of king snake eggs

For those who want to purchase a similar snake for home use, you can easily find many offers on the Internet by entering the query “ buy king snake».

For feeding when kept in a terrarium, small rodents, frogs and frogs are used, which are the favorite delicacy of dairy king snakes. For illumination, lamps emitting ultraviolet spectrum are placed directly in the terrarium.

IN summer time they can be taken out in the sun (exclusively in good weather), in winter it is advisable to provide additional heating of the space using household or special appliances.

Vitamin E is added to the diet of king snakes for a period of two to three weeks immediately after hibernation. Mating occurs from mid-spring to early summer.

In one clutch, the female can lay from four to twelve eggs, which are subsequently placed in an incubator, where after about 60-79 days the first babies appear.

Sinaloyan king snake. This snake got its name because its main habitat is in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where it can be found in river beds, streams and among dry mixed forests.

Pictured is the Sinaloyan king snake

Despite the fact that this species is virtually indistinguishable in color from coral adders, which are the most dangerous to humans, it is non-toxic and safe for people. They are usually small in size and rarely reach more than one meter in length.

Their diet includes not only all kinds of small rodents, frogs and lizards, but also large insects. If the Sinaloyan king snake is purchased to be kept in a terrarium, then it is necessary to install a small tank filled with water in which the snake can swim. It is also advisable to place houses, various shelves and other shelters. The terrarium is sprayed with water once a day, and they are fed about once a week.

Black king snake. This is a relatively small species of king snake, reaching a length of half a meter to a meter. Distributed mainly in Mexico. At the moment, she has been studied very poorly, so the features of her life are still a mystery.

The photo shows a black king snake

Honduran king snake. They live within the tropical rainforests and forests of Nicaragua and Honduras, from where they got their name. They have a bright and unusual color, thanks to which this variety is very popular among breeders. They adapt well to captivity and can live up to twenty years.

Pictured is a Honduran king snake

Striated kingsnake. Distributed in North America from Canada to Colombia. It is of medium size (the length usually does not exceed one and a half meters) and bright color, similar to the coral adder, unlike which it is not poisonous. It hibernates for several months, after which it begins to reproduce. Average duration The lifespan of such snakes is about ten years.

Pictured is a striated king snake

Poisonous king snake. King cobra as a snake It is considered the largest venomous snake on the entire planet. Its size ranges from two to four meters, although individuals are known that reach more than five meters in length.

Their lifespan is approximately thirty years, during which it continues to grow and increase in size. They often settle near human settlements, for which their poison is extremely dangerous.

On the picture King Cobra

Pictured is a royal python

King python snake. It is considered one of the smallest representatives of pythons. It is not poisonous and does not pose any danger to humans. It has a completely peaceful character, which is why it is very popular among snake breeders.

Sunny California is home to a very brightly colored reptile called the California reptile. king snake(lat. Lampropeltis getula california). This completely harmless creature from the genus of Royal snakes (Lampropeltis) of the Colubridae family is happily kept in home terrariums by lovers of exotic animals.

The snake does not show aggression towards people and quickly becomes tame and reproduces well in captivity. The only drawback of the scaly beauty is excessive timidity.

At the slightest fright, she spews out a huge amount of foul-smelling feces, the aroma of which can be compared in the strength of its effect, perhaps, only with the famous skunk liquid.

Spreading

In addition to the California Peninsula, small populations of the reptile are found in the states of Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. The snake lives in both semi-dry and dry areas at altitudes up to 2.4 thousand meters above sea level.

She has a special passion for swamps, water meadows and the coasts of various bodies of water. In the savannah and on the outskirts of deserts it is found much less frequently. From the summer heat, she hides under the roots of trees, in rock crevices or in abandoned burrows of other animals. During the cooler months, the snake enters a months-long winter hibernation.

Behavior

The reptile leads an active daily lifestyle. Only in very hot weather does it hunt in the early morning or in the evening twilight. The snake moves mainly on the ground, but can crawl onto low trees and bushes. Very young snakes especially love to crawl through trees.

The Californian snake feels excellent in water, so it often hunts amphibians. Other smaller species of snakes, including poisonous ones, also become its victims. They are the ones who make up most diet.

Cannibalism is also common among this species. Larger individuals gladly devour their weaker brothers. This phenomenon is most often observed during periods of starvation.

The snake will also not miss the opportunity to feast on rodents, birds and bird eggs. The victim is first strangled and then swallowed with his head.

Reproduction

The species is an oviparous snake. Puberty California snakes reach by 3-4 years. Mating occurs after the end hibernation usually between the beginning of April and the end of May. The female lays 4 to 10 eggs in a secluded place.

Sometimes in the masonry there may be large quantity eggs, which depends on the age of the female and her fatness. Incubation lasts about 50-70 days at ambient temperature.

Young snakes hatch from eggs fully formed and ready to independent life. Their body length is about 30 cm. In the first year of their life, they feed mainly on lizards; in captivity, they can be fed to young rodents.

The California kingsnake occupies an important place in the ecosystem, containing the growth of amphibians, venomous snakes and small mammals. In turn, she herself is food for birds of prey and coyotes.

Description

The length of adult individuals is 150-205 cm. The body is slender, but very strong and muscular. The head is slightly elongated and the muzzle is rounded. Red spots appear clearly on the head.

The body is decorated with black and white rings. There is a bright red stripe running through the black rings. There may be subspecies without red stripes. The tail is relatively short. The eyes are located on the sides of the head. The pupils are round in shape.

The lifespan of the California king snake is about 30 years.

Body length: 90 - 150 cm.

Lifespan: 20 - 25 years.

The California kingsnake is common in the western United States and Mexico. It was also brought to the island of Gran Canaria near Africa. She settles in deserts, forests, and swamps, but prefers to live next to people.

The reptile is active both during the day and at night - it all depends on the weather. Like many other snakes, in spring and fall, the California king snake is active during the day, and in the heat of summer it stays awake at night.

The coloring is usually two colors - light and dark. Light can be white, greyish-white, cream or light yellow. Dark - brown or black. These two colors either form transverse rings (this form is called banded), or, against a main dark background, they run along the back dark stripe(striped). Such snakes are most often found on the coast southern California. Also common are various aberrant forms and a completely yellow variant called banana. These are natural, natural color options. In addition to these, there are also captive-bred morphs.

If the king snake is alarmed, it begins to wriggle, hiss and rattle its tail so that it can easily be confused with a rattlesnake. These snakes are non-venomous, but are fluent in the technique of strangulation. In addition, like all king snakes, Lampropeltis getulus californiae is immune to its poisonous counterparts, which does not prevent it from hunting them. The California kingsnake is not dangerous to humans, but if handled incorrectly, it can bite or release fluid.

How to set up a terrarium

Talking about the maintenance of these snakes, first of all I would like to note that individual terrariums are required for them. They cannot be left with other reptiles even for a minute, since the Californian king snake has a healthy appetite and looks at any neighbor with exclusively gastronomic interest. The exception, of course, is mating time, but caution is needed here too.

These snakes do not have any special requirements for the terrarium. For an adult snake, it will be enough to provide a terrarium or container with a bottom area of ​​40x60 cm (but the larger the better, of course). For young people, take small containers of a suitable size. Young California snakes are cautious and secretive. Do not resist their nature, provide shelters in which they will feel calm. As the snake grows, it will show itself much more often. The substrate can be paper, coconut chips, moss, leaf litter - in general, any of the more or less accepted options, except sand. The good thing about chips for young animals is that they dig into them with pleasure.

The terrarium must have a spacious drinking bowl and a warm-up point of at least 30 C. Never keep snakes without a warm-up point! This is their physiological need. It is also very desirable to have a humidity chamber in the terrarium (a box filled with wet moss, coconut or other substrate where the snake can hide while molting). If there is a humidity chamber, no additional spraying is required.

California snake nutrition

In the wild, the diet of Lampropeltis getulus californiae depends on its habitat. It is an "opportunistic" reptile and will eat almost anything it can swallow. Thus, the prey of Californian king snakes are rodents, small mammals, lizards and their eggs, snakes (including rattlesnakes) and their eggs, frogs, salamanders, birds and large invertebrates, and the eggs of birds and turtles.

In captivity, these snakes can be fed with mice and rats of the appropriate size. It is better to give prey killed or thawed to avoid injury to the reptile. To diversify the diet, you can offer the snake quail eggs. Prey bones and egg shells are a good source of calcium, but it can also be added as part of special vitamin and mineral complexes for reptiles.
Adults should be fed once a week, or when the snake has completely defecated. Young ones can be fed twice a week, so the baby snake will grow faster. At the same time, it is important to prevent obesity in adults and put them on a diet if the snake gets fat.

Reproduction and breeding of the king snake

Before breeding king snakes in captivity, they must be overwintered. To do this, the snake needs to be prepared. You can't feed her for about a week, then turn off the heating and gradually lower the temperature. For king snakes minimum temperature for hibernation about 12 - 15°C. The snake should be kept at this temperature for about a month, and then, in the reverse order, the temperature gradually rises over the course of a week. After turning on the heating, a week later, the snake can be fed.

Snakes can be wintered in special wintering boxes or in herpetological bags. There is a high risk that the snake will catch a cold, so it is advisable to prevent the humidity from increasing during wintering. There is no need to put a large drinking bowl; its size should only allow the snake to drink, and not to bathe. All spilled water must be cleaned up immediately. It is better for the drinker to be as stable as possible.

After wintering, the female and male are placed in the same terrarium. The female's pregnancy lasts on average about 45 days. The female lays from 2 to 12 eggs. Incubation lasts 45 - 60 days at a temperature of 27 - 29°C.

About a week after hatching, the newborns moult and can be fed. There is no point in feeding them before - they still have a reserve of yolk in their stomach. You can’t put your baby right away large terrarium. There it will be difficult for him to find food and hide, it will be stressful for him. Therefore, it is better to make a small terrarium or keep it in a temporary plastic tank. Otherwise, keeping young animals is similar to keeping adult snakes.

Pedigree of the king snake, popular types of snakes and their characteristics, tips for keeping them at home, purchase and price.

The content of the article:

It is no big secret that today it is good to be an individual, but this whole concept is perceived in completely different ways. For whom to be special means to have real friends or happy family, for someone the presence of two or more higher education and a monthly income above average is also to some extent an achievement. But there is another category of people, they try their best to show their individuality and unsurpassed taste in more aesthetic needs. For some, it is necessary to have clothes and shoes from the most latest collections famous couturiers, some buy extremely expensive cars or real estate that no one else has, while others use pets as a way of self-expression.

In our modern era, it is not at all a problem to see the most elaborate and original animals in the house of your relatives or just friends. Raccoons, hedgehogs, lemurs, monkeys and even hippos - all these representatives of the world's fauna have been living in human possessions for many years. But there are also those who want to contemplate something completely unique in their home every day. Living being. If you fall into this category, turn your attention to the king snake.

In relation to this reptile, everyone has completely different thoughts and impressions. Some consider her to be a majestic animal, while others consider her to be alive deadly weapon. According to many literary sources snakes live on our home planet twenty million years longer than humans. Many legends, stories and myths hover over the heads of these long living creatures, which say that there is no one more dangerous and terrible in all of them. globe. But there are also people who consider the snake to be a sacred animal, and it is not for nothing that snake venom was used in medicine as a panacea for all sorts of pathological conditions. Some will think that this cannot be or that clean water fiction, then you just have to remember that it’s probably not in vain that a bowl entwined with a snake became a symbol of healing.

Often the image of these living creatures can be seen in the image of family coats of arms and in illustrations of myths ancient Greece, maybe this snake is not so harmful, since people from the most ancient times have immortalized it as a symbol of health, justice and greatness.

Keeping a king snake in your home may not be the easiest thing, but it is always interesting. Such a pet will not give you a paw, bring you a stick or purr in your ear, but believe me, contemplating such a miracle of nature every day, you will not only get used to it, but also learn to love the snake and even admire it. Looking at these living creatures, it seems that you can draw inspiration from their graceful, elegant appearance and behavior of a king snake can serve as an excellent psychologist.

But before you bring such an exotic pet into your home, you should consult with other members of your family, and get to know the future inhabitant of your home better.

Origin and native range of the king snake

Scientists have been studying the world of snakes for many years; these mysterious creatures have excited the interest of people, even in those ancient times, when there were no scientists as such. But the discovery of the genus of royal snakes dates back to 1843. Besides modern people sciences have classified these representatives of the animal kingdom into the class of reptiles, the order of squamates and the family of colubrids.

As for the native territories of these cute creatures, nothing can be said for sure. The genus of royal snakes includes over 20 very diverse snakes and each lives in its own territory and is suitable for it. climatic conditions external environment.

Types of king snakes and their characteristic features

Florida king snake

Lampropeltis getula floridiana - this inhabitant of the southeastern part of the USA considers the flourishing state of Florida as its Fatherland. For her comfortable and safe habitat, she chooses areas near which there are rivers and small lakes; she feels quite happy in the thick of a swampy wooded area and in the middle of a large number of reed thickets. Some individuals also inhabit locations located near sown plantations and fields.

This beautiful reptile leads a predominantly diurnal lifestyle, but if the summer turns out to be too hot, then this cunning creature goes out to hunt, either early in the morning or at dusk. Some individuals can lie down in some secluded shaded corner throughout the daylight hours, and crawl out late at night in search of food.

The diet of this long Florida native consists of small mammals, in particular rodents, small birds, reptiles, frogs, and sometimes they have the strength and courage to attack venomous rattlesnakes and even cottonmouths. But if food supply is very tight in the territory they occupy, then they can easily afford, without any remorse, to devour their relative, who turned out to be weaker and less agile and attentive.

As for the external appearance of this colubrid, it is a rather large creature, the body of which grows in length over 1.8–2 m. The skin of this snake is painted in grayish-yellow shades; there is no strict correlation of colors in the color of such reptiles, each individual can have its own individual amount of gray or yellow color. The scales on the body of this creature are usually contrasting - in the projection of the base their shade is noticeably lighter, while the edges are very dark. Some representatives of their species are painted by nature in completely different colors. In this regard, scientists sometimes classify them as completely new, hitherto unknown species. But after a while it turns out that these conclusions are erroneous and the object of their study was an ordinary Florida king snake, just with a peculiar color.

Royal black snake or Nigrita

Lampropeltis getula nigrita - as permanent place living, this species of colubrids has chosen for itself rocky areas, around which an abundant amount of lush vegetation grows. This scaly species can be found in Mexico, the Sonoran Desert and the southeastern United States.

Nigrites spend most of their time on the surface of the earth; occasionally they can climb out onto low bushes to inspect nearby areas; by nature they are excellent swimmers, so they can afford to plunge into a body of water.

By nature, these reptiles are very active and hardworking, so their period of activity lasts almost around the clock. If they go in search of prey in daytime day, then their main assistant is their vision, which cannot be called excellent, but at night, a well-developed sense of smell and tactile sensitivity becomes very useful to them.

At the end of the meal, these living “ropes” prefer to spend time in safe shelters alone with themselves. With the onset of cold weather, the metabolism of such scaly nigrita slows down greatly, and during winter it stops completely, and the snake gradually plunges into a sound winter sleep.

These beauties hunt small snakes, sometimes even poisonous ones, since in the process of life they develop the necessary protective reactions of the body to many poisons; they also like to feed on lizards, frogs, rodents, catching them directly in their burrows. They will not refuse to dine on some birds and their eggs.

The royal nigrita is completely non-poisonous, its main weapon is its strength and power, it simply crushes its victim with its muscular body, having previously immobilized it with its powerful jaw.

The appearance of this species of king snake may not be very striking, but it is still delightful. The skin of this snake is painted in one continuous, seemingly not very remarkable black or dark brown color. But as soon as this colubrid gets out into the sun, its skin begins to shine and shimmer with a beautiful shine and a slightly bluish tint. Very young individuals sometimes have some painted elements on the skin, in the form of yellow dots and spots, but with the achievement of sexual maturity they gradually disappear.

The body length of nigrita varies from 60 to 200 cm, it all depends on the conditions of the external habitat.

Thayer's king snake

Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri is middle length colubrid, grows in length to a maximum of 85–100 cm. If we talk about body coloring, then there is no consistency, in one social group Snakes of absolutely different colors can live here. But most often the main color tone is either silver-gray or delicate peach; occasionally there are individuals with regular stripes of three colors painted on their bodies. On the crown of the head you can see a small spot of light shades, and behind the eye socket there are dark lines. The skin of this royal scaly must have a specific pattern, which is represented by stripes or figures irregular shape, painted in different shades of red or brown.

In open nature, this snake is found in the foothills and mountain areas of Mexico. He tries to spend all his time during daylight hours in his holes, or carefully wrapped in forest floor. And with the onset of twilight on the ground, he begins to slowly go out in search of food. The favorite foods of this colubrid are birds, small rodents, and frogs, but young individuals are very capricious - they feed exclusively on lizards.

Mountain Huachuca kingsnake

Lampropeltis pyromelana woodini - This Arizona native chooses the Huachuca Mountains for its personal natural habitat, but can most often be seen in rocky areas slightly elevated above the ground. Leads a predominantly diurnal terrestrial lifestyle. When night falls on the ground, this creature is conveniently located in the crevices of trees and their rhizomes, as well as on completely legally can settle into burrows constructed by other animals.

The maximum body length of the Huachuca scaly is approximately 90 cm, although some individual individuals grow up to 120 cm. The entire body of this snake is painted with beautiful stripes of black, red and white. The white stripes number approximately 35 to 42. The black lines tend to taper towards the sides of the snake's body and never extend to the abdominal area. The projection of the abdominal cavity is most often painted white, against which barely noticeable stripes of a light beige shade are painted. The head, painted by nature in a coal-black tone, is only olfactory organ presented in a whitish color.

Magnificent king snake

Lampropeltis getula splendida - already, based on the name of this reptile, we can conclude that this is a very beautiful living creature, and this opinion is not wrong. This vibrant beauty grows to approximately 110–135 cm in length. On the black head of the snake you can see light-colored stripes in the projection of the labial scutes. The base color of the skin of the colubrid is chocolate brown or deep black. The scales, which are located on the sides of the body, have a large number of yellow color. Quite large spots are painted on the entire surface of the snake’s body, which have a completely chaotic shape, between themselves they are limited by thin lines of beautiful yellow color. Only part of the abdomen is devoid of ornament, which does not make this miracle of nature any less magnificent.

This living “splendor” is distributed from Texas to northern Mexico. The reptile feels very comfortable in places devoid of moisture, but still often makes its way to bodies of water, through dry plains and bushes. They feed on everything that other snakes do, and cannibalism is no exception in their society.

Caring for a king snake, keeping it at home

When bringing such a unique pet into your home, you first need to take care of where it will live. Since your king snake will not jump or run, a horizontal type terrarium is ideal for its personal roof over its head. When choosing the size of such a home, you must be guided by the maximum dimensions to which your pet can grow, but you should remember that at home, these natives of the wild tend to slightly outgrow their relatives from open habitats. Therefore, choose a house for the snake in which it can maintain its motor activity and at the same time, so that the walls of the terrarium do not restrict its movements.

One of the most important rules for keeping snakes at home is the correct temperature regime, which is good to maintain with the help of special heating devices; a thermal cord or a thermal mat are well suited as the latter. Which should be placed in one of the corners of the terrarium - this will be a more “tropical” corner, therefore, the further away from this corner, the cooler your pet will be. This way, you leave it to your long buddy to find the right conditions for himself at any given time.

Air humidity is no less important, especially during the molting period. To maintain the required moisture coefficient, it is necessary to spray the terrarium daily, just make sure that water does not get on the king snake, it can get very scared, and it does not need unnecessary stress. In addition to spraying, it is recommended to install a container with clean water in the terrarium; this will serve as both a drinking bowl and a personal spa for your friend. There he will take baths, and during the period of “changing clothes” he will not leave this personal pool at all.

As a substrate, you can use coconut soil, gravel, coarse sand, you can also place a small amount of sphagnum, good place there will be a hot corner for him, where the humidity will be minimal, and he will be able to slightly adjust it.
Don’t forget about shelters, because snakes also need somewhere to sleep and be away from prying eyes.

At home, king snakes must be fed either hamsters or laboratory mice, once every five days; under no circumstances overfeed your pet. He, of course, will not refuse an extraordinary meal, but this may negatively affect his health, and, consequently, his life expectancy. From time to time, you can offer your snake vitamin and mineral complexes; it is best to add them to the water.

Buying and price of king snake

Buying such a pet is not particularly problematic. The price for such a reptile ranges from 3,000 to 25,000 rubles.

The fight between rattlesnakes and kingsnakes in the following video:

The variety of colors, calm temperament, and size of the Californian king snake, comfortable for keeping in terrarium conditions, have made it a favorite among terrarium keepers.

Description

The non-venomous snake of the colubrid family reaches an average size of 150 cm with an average weight of about 1800 grams. Rarely found individuals bigger size which reach 180 cm in length. Most terrarium snakes are 107-120 cm in size.

The color and pattern of the species Lampropeltis getulus californiae varies depending on the region of its habitat. Thus, snakes that live in the coastal zones of southern California are characterized by alternating white and light yellow stripes in color. Individuals living in the northern San Joaquin Valley and southern Sacramento Valley are characterized by a black belly and dark lateral stripes. California desert kingsnakes are distinguished by wide bands of deep black and bright white that alternate along the entire length of the snake, with almost the entire head being dark and visible between the eyes White spot, and the tip of the muzzle is lighter than the main color of the head.

In addition, there are a large number of morphs bred by breeders, among which there are individuals of yellow, coffee, black and yellow color and even albinos. The most common color characteristic of the species Lampropeltis getulus californiae is dark brown or black stripes alternating with light yellow or white stripes.

The scales of individuals of the genus royal snakes are smooth and shiny. It is because of this that they received the name Lampropeltis - a derivative of Greek words"lampros" meaning shiny, and "peltis" a smooth shield used by Greek peltasts.

The body of adults is massive. The head is slightly wider than the snake's body, elongated and slightly compressed at the sides.
External distinctive features There is no dimorphism in California king snakes, and therefore only a qualified herpetologist can determine the sex using special tests.

The lifespan of individuals in captivity reaches 15-20 years, subject to necessary conditions content.

Origin and habitats in nature

The subspecies Lampropeltis getulus californiae belongs to the species Lampropeltis getula of the genus Lampropeltis (King snakes) of the family Colubridae (Cornerids)

The species is endemic to the southwest coast of the United States and northern Mexico. The main habitat of Lampropeltis getulus californiae is California, which is reflected in the name of the subspecies. California kingsnakes are also found in southwestern Oregon, Nevada, Utah, southwestern Colorado, most of Arizona, and several islands, primarily Sonora, Mexico. In addition, the subspecies was introduced to the island of Gran Canaria.

The biotope of the subspecies is very diverse. California kingsnakes live on the ground in shrubs, grasslands, deserts, swamps, as well as in agricultural lands and even near settlements. In the mountains, the subspecies is found no higher than 2164 m in the eastern Sierra Nevada and no higher than 1852 m in the southern California mountains.

Lifestyle

California king snakes are predominantly diurnal. However, they can also switch to night look life when it gets too hot.

The period of activity of Lampropeltis getulus californiae occurs from March - early April to October - early November. IN winter time they can hibernate in caves, rock crevices, mammal burrows, hollow logs, and old tree stumps. The process of hibernation in this species is called “Brumation” - when during hibernation the reptile wakes up to drink water, but does not eat anything. In the first year of life, young animals may not hibernate, but even in this case, the process of life activity during the period of brumation in adults is slightly slowed down in young animals.

L. californiae hunts mainly on the ground, but can climb bushes and trees. In addition, this species swims well.

If the king snake is alarmed, it begins to wriggle, hiss and rattle its tail in a way that sounds very similar to the sounds made by rattlesnakes. Being non-venomous, king snakes kill their prey through asphyxia (suffocation). In addition, like all king snakes, Lampropeltis getulus californiae is immune to poisonous snakes, which does not prevent it from hunting them. The California kingsnake is not dangerous to humans, but if mishandled, it can bite and release a foul-smelling fluid from its cloaca.

California kingsnakes must be kept alone due to their tendency to cannibalism. The exception is during the breeding season, when a group of snakes may consist of one adult male and two or three adult females. At the same time, the group must be constantly monitored, and the snakes must be separated for several hours during feeding. Young California kingsnakes should never be kept together.

Terrarium: For the California king snake, a horizontal type terrarium is suitable. The dimensions of a terrarium for an adult individual can be at least 70x50x40 cm. When choosing a terrarium for a snake, you should focus, first of all, on the size of the individual itself. If the size of the individual does not exceed 2/3 of the perimeter of the terrarium, then it is spacious enough for this snake. The lid of the terrarium must be securely closed to prevent the snake from escaping.

Substrate: Mulch (cypress bark), coconut chips, and crushed corn cobs are suitable as a substrate for an adult California king snake. Such soil will absorb odors well, and it is also easy to partially replace it. If the snake can swallow the substrate while eating, then it is better to place it in a separate terrarium. For newborns, it is better to use a mat, paper towels or newspaper to prevent soil from getting into the internal organs snakes. In addition, on such a surface it is easier to observe the life activity of young animals.

Lighting: avoid hitting straight sun rays onto a terrarium with a snake, this will create an uncontrollable rise in temperature. For lighting it is enough to use fluorescent lamps. Daylight hours during reptile activity should be 12-14 hours. It is recommended to supplement daylight lighting with lamps with UVB 4-8%.

Content temperature: in the terrarium it is necessary to create a temperature gradient from 25°C in a cold corner to 32°C in a warm one. To maintain this temperature, you can use a warm mat, placing it under the terrarium in the place where there should be a warm corner. Top-type heating as such is not required, so you can install only a fluorescent lamp above the terrarium.

Humidity maintenance: to maintain the Californian king snake high level humidity is not necessary. The substrate must be dry, especially in a cold corner. However, in the terrarium it is necessary to place a container of water close to a warm corner in which the entire snake will fit, provided that the container is only half filled with water to prevent overflowing of water. It is also necessary to organize a so-called “humidity chamber” in the terrarium. This can be done by a ditch with wet moss, where the snake can burrow. And for imitation tropical rains, the terrarium can be sprayed with warm water once a week.

Decor: the presence of a sufficient number of shelters and snags in the terrarium is a prerequisite for keeping the Californian king snake. You can place live animals in a warm corner tropical plants and sphagnum moss. In a cold corner, humidity must be avoided so that the snake does not catch a cold from hypothermia, and therefore the shelters here must be dry. Snags and a drinking bowl with water, in turn, will help the snake during molting. To make the reptile feel protected, it is recommended to cover three walls of the terrarium with decoration.

Feeding in captivity

In the wild, the diet of Lampropeltis getulus californiae depends on the habitat, as it is largely an opportunistic reptile and will eat almost anything it can swallow. Thus, the prey of California king snakes are rodents, small mammals, lizards and their eggs, snakes (including rattlesnakes) and their eggs, frogs, salamanders, birds, as well as large invertebrates, as well as eggs of birds and turtles.

In captivity, these snakes can be fed with mice and rats of the appropriate size. It is better to give prey killed or thawed to avoid injury to the reptile. To diversify the diet, you can offer the snake quail eggs. Prey bones and egg shells are a good source of calcium, but it can also be added as part of a special vitamin and mineral supplement for reptiles.
Adults should be fed once a week, or when the snake has completely defecated. Young animals can be fed twice a week, so the baby snake will grow faster. At the same time, it is important to prevent obesity in adults and reduce the amount of food if necessary.

Breeding

Before breeding king snakes in captivity, they must be overwintered. To do this, the snake needs to be prepared. You can't feed her for about a week, then turn off the heating and gradually lower the temperature. For king snakes, the minimum temperature for hibernation is about 12 - 15°C. For about a month, the snake should be kept at this temperature, and then in the reverse order - the temperature gradually rises over the course of a week, after turning on the heating, after a week the snake can be fed.

Snakes can be wintered in special wintering boxes or in herpetological bags. There is a high risk that the snake will catch a cold, so it is advisable to prevent the humidity from increasing during wintering. There is no need to put a large drinking bowl; its size should only allow the snake to drink, and not to bathe. All spilled water must be cleaned up immediately, it is better that the drinking bowl is as stable as possible.

After wintering, the female and male are placed in the same terrarium. The female's pregnancy lasts on average about 45 days. The female lays from 2 to 12 eggs. Incubation lasts 45 - 60 days at a temperature of 27 - 29°C.

About a week after hatching, the newborns moult and can be fed. There is no point in feeding them before - they still have a reserve of yolk in their stomach. You can’t put your baby in a large terrarium right away. There it will be difficult for him to find food and hide, it will be stressful for him. Therefore, it is better to make a small terrarium or keep it in a temporary plastic nursery. Otherwise, keeping young animals is similar to keeping adult snakes.