When you buy an animal, it is familiar only with the environment in which it has been raised. Sudden shifts in surroundings and diet can be very stressful for the animal, contributing to feeding, health, and behavior problems. This short guide is intended to illustrate how your new animal has been cared for prior to you coming to care for it. I’ll also give some limited suggestions for long term care, but since our collective knowledge of best care practices are constantly improving, and because what works well for one keeper may be less than ideal for another, seeking out reliable care information is your ongoing responsibility.
I keep hatchling mountain kingsnakes alone in 6 quart vented shoeboxes (6” x 12” x 4” high) in a solid sided rack system. The back 1/3 of the enclosure is thermostatically controlled to 84 degrees F at the substrate. The cool side remains about 75 degrees. I use aspen chips for substrate.
On the hot spot is a small Reptile Basics hide (3” x 5”). On the cool side is a small cork bark flat for hiding and for rubbing against when shedding. A small plastic box half filled with damp sphagnum moss is always provided, which the snake will often use as a hide, and will retreat to when shedding. Mountain kingsnakes are relatively tolerant of a range of humidity, though very moist conditions (as in 'bioactive' enclosures) should be avoided.
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Every seven days in the evening the snake is offered a thawed pink mouse on a deli cup lid, in front of the opening to the warm hide. The snake eats the pink overnight. If the snake is in a shed cycle, I refrain from offering food. I always keep a full small water bowl in the enclosure.
As the snake grows, I increase the size of the prey item. Kingsnakes neither need nor prefer large prey items; I feed adults hopper mice, sometimes two or even three at one feeding.
When the snake is between a year and two years old, I will move it into a 28 quart tub (16” x 24” x 5” high), an enclosure that can house the snake permanently. Again, the rear 1/3 of the enclosure is heated to 84 degrees at the substrate. This size tub is roughly equivalent to a 20 gallon long glass tank, or an 18” x 18” x 12” Exo Terra.
Note that this housing scheme provides cozy, warm, secure, and relatively dark surroundings. I’ve found that mountain kingsnakes thrive under these conditions. Snakes that are housed in enclosures that are too large, too warm or too cool, or that don’t offer secure hiding opportunities may be eat poorly or not at all.
I keep hatchling mountain kingsnakes alone in 6 quart vented shoeboxes (6” x 12” x 4” high) in a solid sided rack system. The back 1/3 of the enclosure is thermostatically controlled to 84 degrees F at the substrate. The cool side remains about 75 degrees. I use aspen chips for substrate.
On the hot spot is a small Reptile Basics hide (3” x 5”). On the cool side is a small cork bark flat for hiding and for rubbing against when shedding. A small plastic box half filled with damp sphagnum moss is always provided, which the snake will often use as a hide, and will retreat to when shedding. Mountain kingsnakes are relatively tolerant of a range of humidity, though very moist conditions (as in 'bioactive' enclosures) should be avoided.
.
Every seven days in the evening the snake is offered a thawed pink mouse on a deli cup lid, in front of the opening to the warm hide. The snake eats the pink overnight. If the snake is in a shed cycle, I refrain from offering food. I always keep a full small water bowl in the enclosure.
As the snake grows, I increase the size of the prey item. Kingsnakes neither need nor prefer large prey items; I feed adults hopper mice, sometimes two or even three at one feeding.
When the snake is between a year and two years old, I will move it into a 28 quart tub (16” x 24” x 5” high), an enclosure that can house the snake permanently. Again, the rear 1/3 of the enclosure is heated to 84 degrees at the substrate. This size tub is roughly equivalent to a 20 gallon long glass tank, or an 18” x 18” x 12” Exo Terra.
Note that this housing scheme provides cozy, warm, secure, and relatively dark surroundings. I’ve found that mountain kingsnakes thrive under these conditions. Snakes that are housed in enclosures that are too large, too warm or too cool, or that don’t offer secure hiding opportunities may be eat poorly or not at all.