How to Care for a Kingsnake Properly?

Question

My nephew has recently aquired a kingsnake. He only 10 years old and I want to check with some herp owners out there and make sure he is doing everything right. The snake is being kept in a 20 gallon aquarium with newspaper on the bottom. He has a heat pad that is covering about 1/3 of the tank and a heat lamp. The snake has a hide box and a water dish big enough for the snake to get into. He also has a flourescent 10% UVB bulb and fixture. Does this sound like a good set up? I don't know what he is feeding him or what else he is doing for his care. Any advice about kingsnake care that I can pass onto the boy would be great. He asks me a lot of questions about his snake, since I have a boa constrictor. But, since they are different species, I'm guessing their care is different. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

My advice is that he is doing good. And yes, their care is different from other snakes. tell him to try going on websites  and learn more about the his snake. He'll learn a lot about it and he won't have to bother you as much.

Answer 2

kingsnakes do not need a UVB light, it's a waste of money. Whenever it dies out, he does not need another one or he can just take it back. Being summer, he may not need to run the heat lamp and the undertank heater, probably just one or the other unless his house is cool. 20 gallon should be a good enough size unless it's a adult king snake which would probably need a 40 breeder at the least. He just needs to feed it once every week or two, change water and clean bedding/p**p. most snakes have similar care, the differences usually come w/ temperature/humidity and size of food.