I chose my first snake today and I chose a California king snake! I feel confident being ready to care for it properly and I appreciate all your guidance!
Great video and very informative. I’ve slowly begun interest in Kingsnakes, primarily the California King & Florida King Snake Species (Although now that I’ve seen this video the Desert King Snakes seem amazing as well!). It’s nice to hear from experienced breeders the proper care of the “desert” species of snakes. I’ll make sure I take all ya’lls information into consideration. Thanks for making this video!
Have you noticed any difference in temperament between Cali kings and desert kings? My desert kingsnake has never shown any of the issues with feeding reaction bites that lots of people report with their California kings, and I'm curious if that's down to individual temperament or species trait. When a thawed mouse is involved he's just as intense an eater as any other kingsnake, but if he hasn't smelled one he doesn't enter 'food mode'. No defensive behavior either from him, and he's comfortable being handled for hours at a time. He's been a perfect pet, and I wouldn't hesitate to suggest a desert kingsnake for someone's first snake.
As a general rule, desert kings are more calm than California kings. Although it goes even further when you consider that each animal does have their own individual temperament. Some desert kings are feisty and some Cals are as calm as can be. I agree that desert kings are at the top of our recommended pet snake species list, but so are calm Cal kings.
@@ColdBloodCreations Thanks! I suspected, but wanted to ask someone who's had experience with enough of both to have a good impression. And yeah, I couldn't have asked for a better intro snake than this desert king. They're native to my area, and I've caught and released wild ones herping and never had one bite or even musk, so it was high on my list when I had the opportunity to start keeping pet snakes.
Mine was adopted from a rescue, and was most likely captive bred but I can't say for sure (I don't condone unlicensed taking). Just to clarify - I like keeping native animals, but I wouldn't ever take one from the wild to keep!
Mark, as a general rule, as you go from the East coast to the West coast, the kingsnakes get more "spirited" so to speak. OK, there are individuals that can be feisty in any type or locality of kingsnake, but again, generally speaking, what I said is reasonably true. Of the California kingsnakes, the black and white variety is often less feisty than the coastal varieties.
I have a California kingsnake! She is very curious and loves being out of her cage. Even when I try to put her in she tries to get to the top of the cage.
Great video! I learned a bunch of info while a lot was common sense. l've had my baby King for about 2 weeks now. He's on a Pinky diet once a week. I do live in Florida and there are a bunch of little lizards around which has come across my mind to feed him but I'm afraid of Salmonella. I don't think there's a way to tell just by catching an animal on the spot. It would be very convenient for me and I believe my snake would be happier catching and eating live animals. A question for you guys is how do I know if I have a desert vs cali king snake? The store told me I have a cali king but in your video, when talking about the desert variation, I noticed the color pattern was about exact as mine; a yellowish body with black spots all over. The yellow color is fascinating to me, it's a different almost neon yellow. It's super cool. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for your through explanation of proper care of these interesting creatures. Alhamdolillah, no one really goes into enough through explanation anymore, they just give overly generalized info that just leaves us with more unanswered questions. So hats off to you guys. MashaAllah, I think this pretty much covers it all. I’m so content to have come across your channel guys, Assalamu Alaikum (peace be unto you)
I have a California king. But the thing is my humidity climbs too high over night but is fine during the day. It gets to like 70% at night but stays around 45% during the day
Those desert kingsnakes are really awesome too. My grandson who lives here has an aberrant cal king that's het 66% for albino. Not that it matters because he would never breed kingsnakes or other snakes. Ziggy is born June 29 2020 and he has him since August 24 2020. It's a very pretty snake and even I handle him. Also very tolerant, because he spends a lot of time with him. But he often doesn't want to come to me. And to my grandson he even comes to the glass and he opens it and he crawls on his hand. Also he uses a heatlamp 25watt and a ceramic one100watt (with a thermostat). He also has led lights for daytime in it. Cage is 120cmx50cmx50cm wood with epoxy(special made on The Netherlands). Bedding is reptibark, because it doesn't mold and looks good. Humidity is 40% to 55%.
Got a nasty biter/striker/sassy girl. She's about 8 months old. As soon as you open The cage front doors shes in strike mode. Or before you get a hand in the tank shes striking then hissing. I've put gloves on and tried handling it and same thing she'll keep on striking and biting. Can't even get under her to scoop her up.. Temps are fine she eats fine. She had plenty of hides and bedding to hide in.etc She's even feed in another container. Have to use a mini snake hook to get her out with. Heck she even bites the hook. Any ideas. I've been bite by her more then any snakes. I have large red tails,burms.etc in 10 years ive got a bite from one of the large ones maybe twice this Cali king snake over 20.
Ahhhhhhhh-- that’s hilarious 😂 hilarious 🤣 hilarious 😆 you said “if your snake 🐍 looks like a stuffed sausage, you might wanna cut back on your feedings” MashaAllah that’s perfect as I’ve seen in other snake care videos of Kingsnake care how their snakes do look too fat and stuffed and I don’t like seeing them like that over fed because obesity in all animals can cause health problems and I’d imagine that apply to obese snakes as well. Again thank you for all your helpful knowledge on these species of snakes. Also just wondering 💭 how long have you kept snakes just to find out how you became so knowledgeable on this lovely species?
I place a puppy pee pad at the bottom of my ball pythons plastic bin under her water bowl for her big soaks she takes before a shed, it help with clean up greatly.
Hi I hope you see this, great video informative. I did have a few questions how and when do you sex your king snake (its very young atm) and how can I tell what type of king snake when I purchased it and left the store I realized the tag just said "king snake" verry vague lol thanks for your time keep up the amazing content ill tell my fellow snake enthusiasts about your channel for sure X]
The sex can be determined by either "popping" or probing. Both of these need to be done by someone with experience because there is a slight risk of injury if not done correctly. I would look for a herp society or an experienced keeper to do it for ya.
I live in New Jersey... I currently have a Gorgeous Striped California King... Thanks for confirming that I am doing right by him... I have had many snakes in my life. A Garder snake, of course, he grew pretty big till I gave him to a friend... He liked Goldfish mostly... I had a Black Racer pulled from a neighbor's built-in pool. I kept and fed him for a few months but realized he was too wild to keep and released him back into our nearby swamp... I purchased a baby Corn snake that eventually grew to 6 foot long... She was not very friendly and bit me a lot. I found a better home for her eventually... My prize was a Speckled Kingsnake I named "Killer." He and I went places or should I say I showed him around in many places... I went to reptile shows with him inside my shirt or jacket... He was very Sweet if you could relate that to a snake. He only bit me twice in the 5 years I had him and that was because I did something wrong while handling him... Unfortunately, he died while in someone else's care... He at one time had a mate... I attempted to breed him with another speckled king female named "Victoria." Unfortunately, she was smaller and able to escape from my 6ft showcase and a neighbor found her but put her in a container directly in the sun... No need to say anymore... I also had an Iguana, a Crested Basilisk and farmed Mealy worms and Crickets to feed them... I later fell in love with Mice and Rats... I raised over 400 mice trading them to willing pet stores for food for my other animals... The Rats were left to me by my oldest son when he moved out. I found them to be the most affectionate animals I have ever owned aside from my dogs... I guess you can call me an ANIMAL LOVER... I also as a child captured and studied Spiders and ants... Now 61, I appreciate Bees because they pollinate my Gardens and help me to grow my vegetables... I think I missed my calling in life...
Goldfish has lots of thiaminese and is not good for garters. Better tilapia that's safe to feed. Because if you feed to much fish with thiaminase you're garter develop neurological issues over time. You can look it up. So if you get a garter again no goldfish. Like I said tilapia is very safe and not expensive at all. There's a vid on snakediscovery about this too. Also every good breeder warns you about that. Also look on the internet what fish doesn't has thiaminese. If you give that and some worms and once in a while a mouse you will have healthy happy garters. It's something great about garters you can give a very variable diet but they need sometimes a mouse for the vitamins.
I now have my first Colubrid, a California King Snake named Cedric. He is growing fast and never tried to bite me. Very careful to not smell like his prey or another snake. I am so happy with this snake!
I am an experienced snake keeper, although never with colubrids. I am very interested in getting a King Snake. What is the humidity range and how hot should the heat mat be to keep the King Snake healthy and content?
Kings can thrive at room temps, unlike ball pythons. Ours doo well between 70 and 83 degrees with no hot spot. But if you use a heat pad, I would put it on a dimmer to keep it warm, but not hot. Humidity depends on the subspecies. See our available kings here: www.coldbloodcreations.online/colubrids
I have had a baby corn snake in a 10 gal. aquarium for 8 months now. I do have him a new place I'm about to start setting up, but I have to tell you my experience first. My baby snake is the first and only baby snake I have ever held or been responsible. The lid on my 10 gal was screen, and it has an opening "hatch" to feed fish from if that's what you want. My baby cornsnake had not been here for even 5 days when he disappeared. It was just after he shed and he was not fed yet So...I panicked! I just knew he was gone, but I did do my best to sift through all of the substrate, the hides, the lip on the screen, and no he was not in there. 5 days later, my cat had found him crawling either out of my bathroom or out from under the cat bed. When I turned the light on, I saw him and again panicked, and shooshed my cat away best I could. I figured out that the kitty had been trying to tell me something, trying to alert me, and then I find him on the floor. He hissed and tried to run, but I was determined he was not going to get away. I probably did "grab" him, but remembered what I had been told about handling them. We figured out that he in fact lifted up the screen and got out and it was not out the hatch. I immediately got some screen top clamps...we've not had that happen again. The new enclosure will have screen on top with a locking system and hinged front doors, so there are no tracks or a way for my little contortionist to screwtail out of it. I'm so ready! The moral of my story is...NEVER put a snake in a 10 gal aquarium unless you are sure you can do an upgrade ASAP and make sure it in inescapable! Honestly...I don't recommend it at all!
I just bought a 3.5 year old cali king that my neighbor was rehoming. I already had a ball python, and the cali king seems very skinny. I understand that she will never be as big around as the python, but she’s not much bigger around than my thumb. Is that normal? Should I be feeding her more than the one pinkie mouse a week she’s been being fed since they got her?
I have a question. You placed the hide above the heat source. Is that what we should do. Or should we have maybe two hides. One on the cool side and one on the hot side?
You can get frozen mice in bulk online as well. Just search. But you will need to store in a freezer. Some people have a problem with that. A plastic storage container is a good idea.
I just have a quick question they gave me a 3 1/2 year old Mexican black king snake she’s not venomous she’s maybe about 4 feet or less but my question is can you do a video on what is the correct way to approach a snake that has been given to you to pick them up the right way without scaring them or whatever because I have changed her water, her mulch and fed her so she’s full right now and I’ve been putting my hand in the tank and letting her flick her tongue at me. She hasn’t shown any signs of aggression or anything but I just want to know what is the proper hand position and placement to grab them so they don’t freak out or think that they’re being attacked if you could answer my question that would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Excuse me sir, I have a Kingsnake, and he is having problems with his stomach, it's been 1 week since his stomach hasn't shrunk after eating, and it's not constipation but there's something blocking his stomach.
The cali kingsnake I got is named Greoge. He thinks he's really scary rattaling his tail when you take him of the enclosure... Also is it good if im using cocoa husk for terrain? Im asking because im using cocoa husk right now.
Lol until they learn how to slide it 😒. My king learned then I used a lock so he basically “chewed” threw the screen by finding a weak spot in the screen and hitting it until he made a hole and broke through and escaped 😑. I had to buy an escape proof cage with 17 locks and super strong screen with glass side doors. It’s worked so far 😁. It took me 8 years to finally find a good cage.
Wait, wait ,wait, a king has been known to eat itself and when handled may food bite. How is this a good first pet. Balls are more predictable even will cuddle. Balls max size is 5-6 ft if lucky and no threat to a child of any age. Dogs and cats are far too large to be food. Corn snakes are a second choice but tend to bite at young age. Hognose are derpy looking very handleable but are venomous and can cause a allergic reaction if bit.
While I love most of this video, I would raise the question about why you didn't include a thermostat when talking about heat pads. Do you just plug yours into a wall and let 'er rip?
This is my nimber in case you have a chance to give me a call please 626-639-4144 in case im not able to pick up be kind to leave me a brief message thanks
My newborn Eastern King lived for 25 years and reached 6'. Varied diet, frozen roadkill birds, chipmunks, snakes, etc., 6' display case, Dish large enough to bathe, When it outgrew a hide box I'd attach it to a larger box until it had 4 stacked boxes with holes in bottoms. Outdoor carpet on bottom of cage for easy cleaning, 2 so one could be washed while the other is in cage. I'd take him out to crawl on lawn occasionally. I believe caged pets should be as comfortable and contented as possible.
When I got my first ever snake, I had one of those screen tops, except it folded up in the middle. He used to constantly sneak out through the area it folds, and squeeze through the small gap in either side. He escaped a few times like this, till eventually I got a proper terrarium.
I love your video. Thank you so much. I caught a wild baby California king snake and basically copied the instructions verbatim, but my snake burrows all day. Is that normal? I have the heat pad on all day but I turn it off at night for 4 hours. Should I just keep it on all night long? I also put it on one side just like you said.
YEah thats natural. Snakes are secretive animals and prefer not to be the center of attention. You could turn the heat pad off for 12 hours. Say from 8 PM until 8AM and be fine.
personally I think that its fine for a baby if it has a adult sized enclosure. but for some snakes maybe have it a bit more cluttered so they feel secure
They make clip locks for screen lids on tanks to make sure reptiles can't open them. They're really cheap on Amazon and they work for my ball pythons. Amazon also has light fasteners to make sure overhead lights can't get knocked off.
Excellent sensible content.I’m getting my brooks hatchling soon I have an oak Viv which is 40x65x41 cms.not sure weather to use aspen or coconut husk chips?heat pad is 28x28 and 14 watts.got hides plants etc.in your opinion is that ok or should I change anything?
My king snake is acting very oddly. Chasing himself biting himself rolling round just bizarre. We have had him 10 yrs have not changed anything. Please help
An exo terra medium low 60cm×40cm×30cm is good for Cali Kings to maximum 2 year old, and then you need an upgrade. I wil buy then 120cm×60cm×60cm. Don't know what brand I will buy. I don't know if exo terra have these.. I live in Belgium. The humidity in his terrarium is between 40% and 55%. And he sheds in one piece. Eats everytime, and I use paper towell for the moment. I have 2 natural hides, a big climbing branch, with fake plants and also some decor with fake moss, natural waterbowl, and a stone for help him shed or just as enrichment, I bought everything at a reptile shop. And I have him now 2months and a week. I deepcleaned/disinfected his terrarium once. When I see some poop or pee, I directly change the paper towel. Also mid november I have to deepclean everything again, so he stays healthy. I have a male aberrant Cali King since august 24 this year. And he was born june 29 2020. Edit: Ow yeah he never bites or musks. And he eats everytime. If it's a bigger mouse I can wait 6 days but if it's smaller it's 5 days. Very soon it will be fuzzies, he eats pinky's from 2-4 grams now but they become to small especially the 2g ones, those are way to small.. He's very tolerant towards me, and not nervous at all. I recognize his body language very well, and I don't know why people say they're nippy. Or maybe I just have the sweetest Cali King on the planet. Also change of plans. Deep clean happens tomorrow on monday.🐍🐍 Also very good channel. 👍👍
You already got 2 replies for no sand. I am #3. Never use loose sand for a Cal king or any snake for that matter. If you want, look for Terra Sahara soil from The Bio Dude. That is a soil that is already mixed with a little sand, and it is perfect for a Cal king if you want a more "natural" soil substrate. It maintains a perfect level of humidity without keeping it wet. The other non-soil substrates that are great are Sani Chip and shredded aspen. You cannot go wrong with any of those.
I just brought my cal king home yesterday & I'm learning a lot. We are planning on feeding her frozen but considered transitioning to live once shes bigger. Is this something that could work?
My only tank I have is a 30 or 40 gallon fish tank that Is pretty tall I'm 5,7 and the tank goes to about up to my waist do you think the snake could still get out.
I bought a tiny baby king Snake. He is the smallest snake I have ever had. His set up is a baby bin, heat mat, thermostat, small hide, coral he can crawl in and under, a water bowl for drinking and soaking. He has already eaten 2 pinky mice. Cedric is a black snake with white stripes and white dots on his head. Sweet and friendly little snake. I am watching this again to make sure I am doing everything to give him a nice life. Thanks so much.
Hello fellow reptile enthusiasts,
To see our current available king snakes, check 'em out right here:
www.coldbloodcreations.online/colubrids
Hi
"Eat your cat, your dog.....
*your neighbor's children*
Gotta feed em somehow
What if I *wanted* a snake that would eat my neighbor's children?
TheFangirlOtaku would you like to be my neighbor🤣
TheFangirlOtaku get a reticulated python
Generic Homo Sapien could hurt the snake depending on the neighbors *m a s s* better go with an anaconda to be safe
Burmese python
Burm or retic.......lol
the way he said neighbor's children sort of implies that its happened before.
Hehe shhh....
don't diss my boi ball python
Robert Wisher ball pythons are lame
@@migueldelgado5208 ikr
Ronald Finch why? i honestly think theyre pretty cool when they are awake they cant ALWAYS be asleep unless they are dead 💀
I chose my first snake today and I chose a California king snake! I feel confident being ready to care for it properly and I appreciate all your guidance!
That is awesome!
I’m thinking about a king snake and was wondering about their temperament with handling . I have a 6 year old and 10 year old . Are the bites painful?
Just got one n now im in loved...literally had him for a few hours. My daughter named him EO
I have one as well she loves attention and being held the more you hold they easier will to be fed
I got a Florida ghost kingsnake and I fell in love with him and named him ghost
Great video and very informative. I’ve slowly begun interest in Kingsnakes, primarily the California King & Florida King Snake Species (Although now that I’ve seen this video the Desert King Snakes seem amazing as well!). It’s nice to hear from experienced breeders the proper care of the “desert” species of snakes. I’ll make sure I take all ya’lls information into consideration. Thanks for making this video!
Y’all are soo precious daughter and father team. MashaAllah
Have you noticed any difference in temperament between Cali kings and desert kings? My desert kingsnake has never shown any of the issues with feeding reaction bites that lots of people report with their California kings, and I'm curious if that's down to individual temperament or species trait. When a thawed mouse is involved he's just as intense an eater as any other kingsnake, but if he hasn't smelled one he doesn't enter 'food mode'.
No defensive behavior either from him, and he's comfortable being handled for hours at a time. He's been a perfect pet, and I wouldn't hesitate to suggest a desert kingsnake for someone's first snake.
As a general rule, desert kings are more calm than California kings. Although it goes even further when you consider that each animal does have their own individual temperament. Some desert kings are feisty and some Cals are as calm as can be. I agree that desert kings are at the top of our recommended pet snake species list, but so are calm Cal kings.
@@ColdBloodCreations Thanks! I suspected, but wanted to ask someone who's had experience with enough of both to have a good impression. And yeah, I couldn't have asked for a better intro snake than this desert king. They're native to my area, and I've caught and released wild ones herping and never had one bite or even musk, so it was high on my list when I had the opportunity to start keeping pet snakes.
Mine was adopted from a rescue, and was most likely captive bred but I can't say for sure (I don't condone unlicensed taking). Just to clarify - I like keeping native animals, but I wouldn't ever take one from the wild to keep!
Mark, as a general rule, as you go from the East coast to the West coast, the kingsnakes get more "spirited" so to speak. OK, there are individuals that can be feisty in any type or locality of kingsnake, but again, generally speaking, what I said is reasonably true. Of the California kingsnakes, the black and white variety is often less feisty than the coastal varieties.
They do have clips for those glass tanks so they can’t escape but if you forget to put them on even once then your snake is gone.
It cracks me up that some people think they can still microwave a mouse to thaw it out XD
I have a California kingsnake! She is very curious and loves being out of her cage. Even when I try to put her in she tries to get to the top of the cage.
I usually use paper towels when I quarantine my snakes when I first get them.
Good idea.
So you can see mites(if there are any) great idea.
Kings and milks for life!
Great video! I learned a bunch of info while a lot was common sense. l've had my baby King for about 2 weeks now. He's on a Pinky diet once a week. I do live in Florida and there are a bunch of little lizards around which has come across my mind to feed him but I'm afraid of Salmonella. I don't think there's a way to tell just by catching an animal on the spot. It would be very convenient for me and I believe my snake would be happier catching and eating live animals. A question for you guys is how do I know if I have a desert vs cali king snake? The store told me I have a cali king but in your video, when talking about the desert variation, I noticed the color pattern was about exact as mine; a yellowish body with black spots all over. The yellow color is fascinating to me, it's a different almost neon yellow. It's super cool. Thanks for the video!
Man you guys are great and wicked informative. Thank you! Extremely helpful for a beginner.
Happy to help!
Thank you for your through explanation of proper care of these interesting creatures. Alhamdolillah, no one really goes into enough through explanation anymore, they just give overly generalized info that just leaves us with more unanswered questions. So hats off to you guys. MashaAllah, I think this pretty much covers it all. I’m so content to have come across your channel guys, Assalamu Alaikum (peace be unto you)
Great video on one of my favorite snakes!
No kidding...get a real terrarium and not a fishtank...
I have a California king. But the thing is my humidity climbs too high over night but is fine during the day. It gets to like 70% at night but stays around 45% during the day
I don't smell like food. He is always testy lol
Excellent video 💖💖💖
Ps.... Do You, man, ever blink? 😱😆
Yeah, I tried it once, but I wasn't very good at it...
@@ColdBloodCreations 😆☺
thats what i was thinking
U can also thaw your prey out in a slow boil water or chicken broth
Those desert kingsnakes are really awesome too. My grandson who lives here has an aberrant cal king that's het 66% for albino. Not that it matters because he would never breed kingsnakes or other snakes. Ziggy is born June 29 2020 and he has him since August 24 2020. It's a very pretty snake and even I handle him. Also very tolerant, because he spends a lot of time with him. But he often doesn't want to come to me. And to my grandson he even comes to the glass and he opens it and he crawls on his hand. Also he uses a heatlamp 25watt and a ceramic one100watt (with a thermostat). He also has led lights for daytime in it. Cage is 120cmx50cmx50cm wood with epoxy(special made on The Netherlands). Bedding is reptibark, because it doesn't mold and looks good. Humidity is 40% to 55%.
Got a nasty biter/striker/sassy girl. She's about 8 months old. As soon as you open The cage front doors shes in strike mode. Or before you get a hand in the tank shes striking then hissing. I've put gloves on and tried handling it and same thing she'll keep on striking and biting. Can't even get under her to scoop her up.. Temps are fine she eats fine. She had plenty of hides and bedding to hide in.etc She's even feed in another container. Have to use a mini snake hook to get her out with. Heck she even bites the hook. Any ideas. I've been bite by her more then any snakes. I have large red tails,burms.etc in 10 years ive got a bite from one of the large ones maybe twice this Cali king snake over 20.
Ahhhhhhhh-- that’s hilarious 😂 hilarious 🤣 hilarious 😆 you said “if your snake 🐍 looks like a stuffed sausage, you might wanna cut back on your feedings” MashaAllah that’s perfect as I’ve seen in other snake care videos of Kingsnake care how their snakes do look too fat and stuffed and I don’t like seeing them like that over fed because obesity in all animals can cause health problems and I’d imagine that apply to obese snakes as well. Again thank you for all your helpful knowledge on these species of snakes. Also just wondering 💭 how long have you kept snakes just to find out how you became so knowledgeable on this lovely species?
I place a puppy pee pad at the bottom of my ball pythons plastic bin under her water bowl for her big soaks she takes before a shed, it help with clean up greatly.
Yeeeeee haaaaa partner 🤠 what’s a poisonous snake?
A poisonous snake? Rhabdophis tigrinus is the only snake I know of that is poisonous as well as venomous
I’m sitting with my albino Cali king snake right now her name is lavender and I have a nothe black and yellow king snake
glad i found your channel. going to be nice once the kingsnake i bought gets to me.
Hi I hope you see this, great video informative. I did have a few questions how and when do you sex your king snake (its very young atm) and how can I tell what type of king snake when I purchased it and left the store I realized the tag just said "king snake" verry vague lol thanks for your time keep up the amazing content ill tell my fellow snake enthusiasts about your channel for sure X]
The sex can be determined by either "popping" or probing. Both of these need to be done by someone with experience because there is a slight risk of injury if not done correctly. I would look for a herp society or an experienced keeper to do it for ya.
Thanks will do . and hey how do I know what kind of king snake he is I think he's a flordia but I'm not sure any thoughts
I would have to see the snake in order to say.
thank u!!
Albino handoran is beaut
Excellent video
The girl is super cute 😏
Great video! Thanks guys!!
I live in New Jersey... I currently have a Gorgeous Striped California King... Thanks for confirming that I am doing right by him... I have had many snakes in my life. A Garder snake, of course, he grew pretty big till I gave him to a friend... He liked Goldfish mostly... I had a Black Racer pulled from a neighbor's built-in pool. I kept and fed him for a few months but realized he was too wild to keep and released him back into our nearby swamp... I purchased a baby Corn snake that eventually grew to 6 foot long... She was not very friendly and bit me a lot. I found a better home for her eventually... My prize was a Speckled Kingsnake I named "Killer." He and I went places or should I say I showed him around in many places... I went to reptile shows with him inside my shirt or jacket... He was very Sweet if you could relate that to a snake. He only bit me twice in the 5 years I had him and that was because I did something wrong while handling him... Unfortunately, he died while in someone else's care... He at one time had a mate... I attempted to breed him with another speckled king female named "Victoria." Unfortunately, she was smaller and able to escape from my 6ft showcase and a neighbor found her but put her in a container directly in the sun... No need to say anymore... I also had an Iguana, a Crested Basilisk and farmed Mealy worms and Crickets to feed them... I later fell in love with Mice and Rats... I raised over 400 mice trading them to willing pet stores for food for my other animals... The Rats were left to me by my oldest son when he moved out. I found them to be the most affectionate animals I have ever owned aside from my dogs... I guess you can call me an ANIMAL LOVER... I also as a child captured and studied Spiders and ants... Now 61, I appreciate Bees because they pollinate my Gardens and help me to grow my vegetables... I think I missed my calling in life...
Goldfish has lots of thiaminese and is not good for garters. Better tilapia that's safe to feed. Because if you feed to much fish with thiaminase you're garter develop neurological issues over time. You can look it up. So if you get a garter again no goldfish. Like I said tilapia is very safe and not expensive at all. There's a vid on snakediscovery about this too. Also every good breeder warns you about that. Also look on the internet what fish doesn't has thiaminese. If you give that and some worms and once in a while a mouse you will have healthy happy garters. It's something great about garters you can give a very variable diet but they need sometimes a mouse for the vitamins.
I appreciate all your knowledgeable information on Cal King Snakes thanks sir, Alhamdolillah 🙌🏼🌙😘
I now have my first Colubrid, a California King Snake named Cedric. He is growing fast and never tried to bite me. Very careful to not smell like his prey or another snake. I am so happy with this snake!
Good luck!
I am an experienced snake keeper, although never with colubrids. I am very interested in getting a King Snake. What is the humidity range and how hot should the heat mat be to keep the King Snake healthy and content?
Kings can thrive at room temps, unlike ball pythons. Ours doo well between 70 and 83 degrees with no hot spot. But if you use a heat pad, I would put it on a dimmer to keep it warm, but not hot. Humidity depends on the subspecies. See our available kings here:
www.coldbloodcreations.online/colubrids
Howdy ther Mr King Snake, say hello to Mrs King.
I cant really hokd mine it usually always just bites me hokds on and begins to coil as to try and suffocate my hand :T
Moon bat your snake is stressed. It is not trying to suffocate you but is stressed
I have had a baby corn snake in a 10 gal. aquarium for 8 months now. I do have him a new place I'm about to start setting up, but I have to tell you my experience first. My baby snake is the first and only baby snake I have ever held or been responsible. The lid on my 10 gal was screen, and it has an opening "hatch" to feed fish from if that's what you want. My baby cornsnake had not been here for even 5 days when he disappeared. It was just after he shed and he was not fed yet So...I panicked! I just knew he was gone, but I did do my best to sift through all of the substrate, the hides, the lip on the screen, and no he was not in there. 5 days later, my cat had found him crawling either out of my bathroom or out from under the cat bed. When I turned the light on, I saw him and again panicked, and shooshed my cat away best I could. I figured out that the kitty had been trying to tell me something, trying to alert me, and then I find him on the floor. He hissed and tried to run, but I was determined he was not going to get away. I probably did "grab" him, but remembered what I had been told about handling them. We figured out that he in fact lifted up the screen and got out and it was not out the hatch. I immediately got some screen top clamps...we've not had that happen again. The new enclosure will have screen on top with a locking system and hinged front doors, so there are no tracks or a way for my little contortionist to screwtail out of it. I'm so ready! The moral of my story is...NEVER put a snake in a 10 gal aquarium unless you are sure you can do an upgrade ASAP and make sure it in inescapable! Honestly...I don't recommend it at all!
My Mexican black kingsnake has just had 4 winter months in London ,Finally turned up ,And is now eating better than ever .
Great video, thanks!
I just bought a 3.5 year old cali king that my neighbor was rehoming. I already had a ball python, and the cali king seems very skinny. I understand that she will never be as big around as the python, but she’s not much bigger around than my thumb. Is that normal? Should I be feeding her more than the one pinkie mouse a week she’s been being fed since they got her?
I have a question. You placed the hide above the heat source. Is that what we should do. Or should we have maybe two hides. One on the cool side and one on the hot side?
That will work. Nothing wrong with having 2 differing spots to hide out...
Can you buy pinkies and the varying sizes already frozen at pet stores? or do you buy the mice alive and freeze them yourself?
Some pet stores will carry them. We just breed our own. You can also buy frozen in bulk at most reptile shows an keep em in the freezer until needed.
You can get frozen mice in bulk online as well. Just search. But you will need to store in a freezer. Some people have a problem with that. A plastic storage container is a good idea.
I just have a quick question they gave me a 3 1/2 year old Mexican black king snake she’s not venomous she’s maybe about 4 feet or less but my question is can you do a video on what is the correct way to approach a snake that has been given to you to pick them up the right way without scaring them or whatever because I have changed her water, her mulch and fed her so she’s full right now and I’ve been putting my hand in the tank and letting her flick her tongue at me. She hasn’t shown any signs of aggression or anything but I just want to know what is the proper hand position and placement to grab them so they don’t freak out or think that they’re being attacked if you could answer my question that would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Excuse me sir, I have a Kingsnake, and he is having problems with his stomach, it's been 1 week since his stomach hasn't shrunk after eating, and it's not constipation but there's something blocking his stomach.
The cali kingsnake I got is named Greoge. He thinks he's really scary rattaling his tail when you take him of the enclosure... Also is it good if im using cocoa husk for terrain? Im asking because im using cocoa husk right now.
I will love him and hug him and squeeze him and call him George....
Sorry, old cartoon fan here...
The tank style at 4:11 is great for leopard geckos depending on what size as long as you don’t have cats around. That’s just my experience though
Lol until they learn how to slide it 😒. My king learned then I used a lock so he basically “chewed” threw the screen by finding a weak spot in the screen and hitting it until he made a hole and broke through and escaped 😑. I had to buy an escape proof cage with 17 locks and super strong screen with glass side doors. It’s worked so far 😁. It took me 8 years to finally find a good cage.
Wait, wait ,wait, a king has been known to eat itself and when handled may food bite. How is this a good first pet. Balls are more predictable even will cuddle. Balls max size is 5-6 ft if lucky and no threat to a child of any age. Dogs and cats are far too large to be food. Corn snakes are a second choice but tend to bite at young age. Hognose are derpy looking very handleable but are venomous and can cause a allergic reaction if bit.
While I love most of this video, I would raise the question about why you didn't include a thermostat when talking about heat pads. Do you just plug yours into a wall and let 'er rip?
Did anyone else’s heart stop when you heard casually said “eat your neighbors children!” 🤔😳😳🤯😳
hahaha
The sticky wears off of those heat pads and then it will never stick again!
3M spray adhesives will fix that problem, as will two way tape.
Im interested in a white side king snake how can i get som info about it
We have some available now.
coldbloodcreations@yahoo.com
@@ColdBloodCreations@ yahoo.com
This is my nimber in case you have a chance to give me a call please 626-639-4144 in case im not able to pick up be kind to leave me a brief message thanks
The thought of the microwave 🤢🤮
My king snake likes to stay underground in the bedding for most of the day, is that normal?
There all different yeah it's very normal
In the wild they stay underground 99% of the time, so yes.
Very informative! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!
2023- I have a 10 gallon reptile glass tank with a metal slide in top with locked
ive had my king snake for almost 2 years now and its only about 13 in
My newborn Eastern King lived for 25 years and reached 6'. Varied diet, frozen roadkill birds, chipmunks, snakes, etc., 6' display case, Dish large enough to bathe, When it outgrew a hide box I'd attach it to a larger box until it had 4 stacked boxes with holes in bottoms. Outdoor carpet on bottom of cage for easy cleaning, 2 so one could be washed while the other is in cage. I'd take him out to crawl on lawn occasionally. I believe caged pets should be as comfortable and contented as possible.
Good job man. I love big chain kings. Too bad their illegal here...
I got an albino yesterday that’s my first snake I love it so much, I named it Nagini
You can also buy a new plastic dollar store reusable container for food to use as water bowls.
Yes, you can.
When I got my first ever snake, I had one of those screen tops, except it folded up in the middle. He used to constantly sneak out through the area it folds, and squeeze through the small gap in either side. He escaped a few times like this, till eventually I got a proper terrarium.
Have you ever dealt with one of your kinggsnakes attacking its own tail?
I just caught one in the wild today in my backyard in #LasVegas
Is it ok or smart to put paper towels on the bottom and then a bit of bedding?
It's ok, but not sure why you would.
if I had king sanke when is a good time to hold it and I keep a sex boy wants to see my sanke should keep him away I am holding my sanke
I bought one last night and lost it this Morning. I named him Julio. Julio is now gone
thank you so much for your video, it is great source of information
I love your video. Thank you so much. I caught a wild baby California king snake and basically copied the instructions verbatim, but my snake burrows all day. Is that normal? I have the heat pad on all day but I turn it off at night for 4 hours. Should I just keep it on all night long? I also put it on one side just like you said.
YEah thats natural. Snakes are secretive animals and prefer not to be the center of attention. You could turn the heat pad off for 12 hours. Say from 8 PM until 8AM and be fine.
Cold Blood Creations thank you!
You're welcome! Let us know if we can be of any further help.
so cool! Thank you for sharing this experiece with us
Our pleasure!
@@ColdBloodCreations ok makasih kak
is it illegal to get a gardener snake from the wild and bring it to your home?
What if its not eating but also the video was really helful
If you buy a terrarium for an adult king. Can you keep it in there when it's still little? Or do you really need a small terrarium first?
personally I think that its fine for a baby if it has a adult sized enclosure. but for some snakes maybe have it a bit more cluttered so they feel secure
Thanks! We brought our first King snake home today and this is a great help.
They make clip locks for screen lids on tanks to make sure
reptiles can't open them. They're really cheap on Amazon and they work for my ball pythons. Amazon also has light fasteners to make sure overhead lights can't get knocked off.
Awesome tips. Thank you for sharing that with us and our viewers.
going to be at repticon this weekend?
Lord willing and the creek don't rise! Yes, we'll be there.
Great video as always!
Why dos my king snake try to bite me when i take her out of her incloser?
She is afraid. Regular handling will help her to learn that you intend her no harm. Be patient.
@@ColdBloodCreations thanks guys ill try this
My baby ca kingsnake lasted 1 night and died the next day. From Petsmart. And I live in Ca.
Wow only 1 night?
We get tons of emails about their animals dying or not thriving.
Excellent sensible content.I’m getting my brooks hatchling soon I have an oak Viv which is 40x65x41 cms.not sure weather to use aspen or coconut husk chips?heat pad is 28x28 and 14 watts.got hides plants etc.in your opinion is that ok or should I change anything?
My king snake is acting very oddly. Chasing himself biting himself rolling round just bizarre. We have had him 10 yrs have not changed anything. Please help
Where are you located? Do you have a list of convictions you plan on attending?
We are in south Georgia. We do shows in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and sometimes South Carolina.
Conviction or convention?
I'm going to buy s king soon. Thanks for the thorough video
Any time!
An exo terra medium low 60cm×40cm×30cm is good for Cali Kings to maximum 2 year old, and then you need an upgrade. I wil buy then 120cm×60cm×60cm. Don't know what brand I will buy. I don't know if exo terra have these..
I live in Belgium. The humidity in his terrarium is between 40% and 55%. And he sheds in one piece. Eats everytime, and I use paper towell for the moment. I have 2 natural hides, a big climbing branch, with fake plants and also some decor with fake moss, natural waterbowl, and a stone for help him shed or just as enrichment, I bought everything at a reptile shop. And I have him now 2months and a week. I deepcleaned/disinfected his terrarium once. When I see some poop or pee, I directly change the paper towel. Also mid november I have to deepclean everything again, so he stays healthy. I have a male aberrant Cali King since august 24 this year. And he was born june 29 2020.
Edit: Ow yeah he never bites or musks. And he eats everytime. If it's a bigger mouse I can wait 6 days but if it's smaller it's 5 days. Very soon it will be fuzzies, he eats pinky's from 2-4 grams now but they become to small especially the 2g ones, those are way to small.. He's very tolerant towards me, and not nervous at all. I recognize his body language very well, and I don't know why people say they're nippy. Or maybe I just have the sweetest Cali King on the planet.
Also change of plans. Deep clean happens tomorrow on monday.🐍🐍 Also very good channel. 👍👍
I just got a California king snake. Am I able to use any type of sand for him?
No, sand should be avoided for most reptiles.
Don’t use sand, it can cause a respiratory infection. Use aspen bedding or paper towel instead.
You already got 2 replies for no sand. I am #3. Never use loose sand for a Cal king or any snake for that matter. If you want, look for Terra Sahara soil from The Bio Dude. That is a soil that is already mixed with a little sand, and it is perfect for a Cal king if you want a more "natural" soil substrate. It maintains a perfect level of humidity without keeping it wet. The other non-soil substrates that are great are Sani Chip and shredded aspen. You cannot go wrong with any of those.
I just brought my cal king home yesterday & I'm learning a lot. We are planning on feeding her frozen but considered transitioning to live once shes bigger. Is this something that could work?
MashaAllah completely amazing animals thanks for your informational video the Banana King Snakes are my fave MashaAllah
How old do king snakes live cal King is what we have in Tucson,Az
With proper care, king snakes average ten years.
Wow my Albino Cal King is 14 years old!
A few hours to thaw! just use warm water which works very fast
It certainly does help speed up the process! Just have to make sure the rat/mouse isn't still rigid cold in the middle. Thanks for watching!
My only tank I have is a 30 or 40 gallon fish tank that Is pretty tall I'm 5,7 and the tank goes to about up to my waist do you think the snake could still get out.
I have a Mexican Black King Snake, and he's a puppy dog, but a beast with feeding. The BEST starter snake ever if u can afford them ( im in the UK )
For my kingsnakes ive been using aspen and coconut fiber bedding about a 40/60 mix aspen to coconut fiber
I have two ferrets and am thinking about getting a mexican black king snake. Ferrets eat snakes, so I don’t know if it’s a good idea. Any suggestions?
I bought a tiny baby king Snake. He is the smallest snake I have ever had. His set up is a baby bin, heat mat, thermostat, small hide, coral he can crawl in and under, a water bowl for drinking and soaking. He has already eaten 2 pinky mice. Cedric is a black snake with white stripes and white dots on his head. Sweet and friendly little snake. I am watching this again to make sure I am doing everything to give him a nice life. Thanks so much.
Will this video work for Mexican Kingsnake’s aswell?