{"id":4439,"date":"2014-10-07T19:48:50","date_gmt":"2014-10-07T19:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lafeber.com\/staging\/vet\/?p=4439"},"modified":"2016-02-01T16:48:51","modified_gmt":"2016-02-01T16:48:51","slug":"basic-information-for-kingsnakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/vet\/basic-information-for-kingsnakes\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Information Sheet: Kingsnakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis <\/em>spp.)<\/h1>\n

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Natural history<\/h2>\n

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\nThere are several species of kingsnake and their habitat and range vary. The Eastern kingsnake is found in humid forests of the eastern seaboard states and as far west as the Appalachians and Alabama. The California kingsnake is native to desert, arid grassland, and rocky hillsides of Baja Mexico and the western United States.<\/p>\n

Pets may be bred in captivity or wild-caught. Kingsnakes are fairly docile, medium-sized, hardy reptiles, that make good \u201cstarter\u201d snake pets.
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Taxonomy<\/h2>\n

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\nClass<\/strong>: Reptilia<\/em><\/p>\n

Order<\/strong>: Squamata<\/em><\/p>\n

Family<\/strong>: Colubridae<\/em> – corn snake, rat snake<\/p>\n

Lampropeltis getula californiae<\/em>: California kingsnake<\/p>\n

L. getula getula<\/em>: Eastern kingsnake<\/p>\n

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Color and size<\/h2>\n

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\nHatchlings are gray with black dorsal saddles. Although an array of color morphs are available, adult Eastern kingsnakes are dark chocolate or black with white, cream, or yellow cross-bands.<\/p>\n

This species is usually between 4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m) in length, while California kingsnakes are usually 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) long. The ground color of the California kingsnake is black or brown with a pattern of white, cream, or yellow stripes or bands.
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Diet<\/h2>\n

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\nFree-ranging kingsnakes prey upon rodents, lizards, and frogs and especially upon other snakes. Captive specimens will eat mice and small rats. An adult may be fed 1-3 mice once weekly. For more information, download the client handout: Feeding Snakes<\/a>.
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Husbandry<\/h2>\n

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Temperature<\/td>\nProvide a temperature gradient of 70-85\u00b0F (21-28\u00b0C) with a 10-15\u00b0F (2-5\u00b0C) drop at night. A winter cool-down or “brumation” is also recommended for healthy specimens.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Humidity\/water<\/td>\nProvide a water bowl large enough for the snake to completely immerse its body, and heavy enough that the animal will not tip it over.\u00a0 Shedding may also be helped by the presence of a humidity box\u201d or a hiding place filled halfway with damp sphagnum moss. Place the container half on and half off the heat.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cage size and design<\/td>\nAt minimum, adults require a long, 20-gallon (75-L) aquarium or terrarium.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cage furniture\/supplies<\/td>\nProvide visual security in the form of multiple hide boxes. Although kingsnakes are active, these terrestrial snakes do not require a climbing branch. Commercial substrate such as aspen bedding is recommended.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Social structure<\/td>\nKingsnakes are solitary and will kill and eat other snakes. Similarly sized adults can be housed together for breeding, but are otherwise maintained separately in most cases.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Lifespan<\/h2>\n

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\nMost kingsnakes live 15+ years in captivity.
\nSexually maturity is reached at approximately 200 g (7 oz) in males or 225 g (8 oz) in females. Kingsnakes are typically 18 months of age by this time.
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Anatomy\/ physiology<\/h2>\n

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Dermatologic:<\/td>\nSnakes lack movable eyelids; instead the eyes are protected by a clear \u201cspectacle\u201d, which is an embryonic fusion of the eyelids.
\nThe scaled skin is normally shed in one piece in a process called \u201cecdysis\u201d.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gastrointestinal:<\/td>\nThe teeth are arranged in six rows with double rows present in the upper jaw. Snake teeth are shed through life, and are attached to the bone\u2019s surface instead of roots.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cardiopulmonary:<\/td>\nThe snake\u2019s three-chambered heart is mobile within the ribcage.
\nSnakes possess incomplete tracheal rings.
\nThe right lung joins with a large air sac that may extend to the caudal coelom. The left lung is absent or vestigial.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gastrointestinal:<\/td>\nThe tongue is a complicated structure that sits within a pouch at the base of the oral cavity. The tip of the tongue is normally darker where the taste buds are found.
\nAcrodont dentition: Teeth are not set in sockets, but instead are weakly attached to the jawbone surface.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Urogenital:<\/td>\nSnakes possess a renal portal system.
\nKingsnakes are \u201coviparous\u201d or egg layers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sexual dimorphism:<\/td>\nThe copulatory organs of the snake are \u201chemipenes\u201d. Hemipenes lie within pouches at the ventral tail base. Probing of the male pouches will be deeper when compared to females.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Restraint<\/h2>\n

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\nKingsnakes are relatively docile and rarely bite.
\nWhen handling a snake, take care not to smell like snake food (i.e. rodents or rabbits). Wash your hands thoroughly beforehand.
\nSupport the head, neck, and body. Make sure the snake\u2019s weight is not borne by its single occipital condyle and the cervical spine.
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Venipuncture<\/a><\/h2>\n

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\nTail vessel
\nCardiac puncture
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Injections<\/h2>\n

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\nGive intramuscular injections<\/a> between the scales in the epaxial muscles. Use the cranial half of the body to avoid the renal portal system.
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Preventive medicine<\/h2>\n

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\nRegular physical examination
\nFecal parasite testing
\nQuarantine
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Important medical conditions<\/h2>\n

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\nKingsnakes are relatively hardy species, however problems seen in captivity can include:<\/p>\n