Mexican Black Kingsnake Care Sheet
The Mexican Black Kingsnake Care Sheet
By Reptitrader
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Mexican black Kingsnake. Photo courtesy of Christi Hancock
(Care Sheets are a quick guide to keeping snakes, for more detailed and accurate information consult the relevant book from our book store)
General: The Mexican black king snake (Lampropeltis getula nagrita), is a glossy black king snake that originates from western Sonora and northwestern Sinaloa, Mexico as well as a small area in southern Arizona. Some neonates have some lateral white spots that usually disappear as the snake grows larger. They are a slender king snake of medium length averaging three to four feet. Nagrita tend to be very docile king snakes and thus make excellent pets.
Enclosure:The minimum enclosure size for a Mexican Black Kingsnake should be 36 inches X 12 inches X 18 inches but preferably larger. The enclosure should be escape proof and furnished with a hide at both ends of the enclosure (Hot and Cold) and a water bowl large enough for the snake to bathe in. Neonates can be kept in small rubbermaid containers set up the same as the adults enclosures above. Never house two kingsnakes together as they are cannibalistic.
Substrate:For substrate one can use newspaper, aspen wood shavings, or cypress mulch. Pine or cedar wood shavings should NEVER be used as they contain toxic chemicals that could kill your snake.
Temperature:An ambient daytime temperature in the high 70s and a hot spot of about 90 degrees is required for your Mexican black kingsnake. Night time temperatures can fall as low as 70 to 75 degrees.
Feeding:All king snakes will do very well on a diet consisting solely of domestic rodents. Hatchlings will usually start out eating a new born pinky. As the snake grows, you can feed increasingly larger mice. Hatchlings should be fed every 4 to 6 days while adults will do well on adult mice fed every 7 to 10 days. The size of the prey item should be no larger than the maximum girth of the snake.
Cleaning:Thoroughly clean and disinfect your Mexican Black Kingsnakes enclosure at least once a month. Remove Faeces as it appears. Always make sure that clean water is available.
