What can you tell me about black King Snakes? Personal experiences please!?

Question

Ok, so after much debate and research I have decided on getting a black King Snake. I have had a corn snake for a year and a half (raised from a hatchling) and I have had a ball python for nearly six months, so I feel that I do have experience. However, I have read that King Snakes are more aggressive as hatchlings and I was wondering if that was true. If so, does it hurt when they strike or is it rather like a corn snake striking (in other words, it feels more like getting hit with the eraser side of a pencil...)? I can handle getting struck at by a baby, but not if I'm going to bleed! ha-ha Any suggestions or personal experiences are welcome!

Answer 1

King snakes are much more jumpy and can be more aggressive and more unpredictable than other snakes. They can still be great pets though as long as you handle them when they are young. Keep in mind that king snakes are called king snakes because they eat other snakes [including venomous ones!] so always make sure you wash your hands/arms well in between handling your other snake. As far as the bite goes, it depends upon the size of the snake and your pain tolerance level haha. I have been bitten a few times, It's a lot like a corn/rat snake bite.  

Good luck!  

Answer 2

They are a little aggressive as babies, but calm down. I have been bit by a kingsnake and it didn't hurt. I did bleed but only a drop. They get to about 3 feet on average, which is about as large as other kingsnakes.

Answer 3

hey, i made a care sheet that basically covers all your questions in this text while showing you how to care for the snake as well..

The Black Kingsnake

      The Mexican black king snake (a.k.a. black desert king snake), Lampropeltis getula nagrita, is a glossy solid black king snake from western Sonora and northwestern Sinaloa, Mexico as well as a small area in southern Arizona. Some neonates will 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. My largest nagrita is a 50 inch female of unknown age that I obtained as a young breeder. Nagrita tend to be very docile king snakes and thus make excellent pets. They tend to be less nervous than California king snakes, which tend to bite and/or musk when handled as hatchlings.

        The range of this snake overlaps that of both the desert king and the California king snake, and naturally interbreeds with these two subspecies. These intergrades have dorsal and lateral patterning that is usually not present in a pure nagrita. When buying a nagrita, check the snake over for speckling to determine the quality of the snake if this is important to you. If you are thinking of breeding your nagrita, you really should look for pure animals that lack speckling of any kind if you want to produce high quality animals.

Cage Setup:

        Minimum cage size for an adult nagrita should be at least a 30 gallon long tank (36" long X 12" wide X 18" high), but preferably larger. The lid should fit on snugly and be made specifically for reptiles as snakes are notorious escape artists. The cage requires a temperature gradient in order to allow the snake to regulate its body temperature by moving to either the warm or cool end of the enclosure. There are different ways to achieve a good temperature gradient. One way is to use an under tank heat pad available from pet stores, or you can use a drug store heating pad. Place the heat pad under one side of the tank, and measure the temperature. This area should be approximately 82F. Now, measure the temperature at the cool end of the enclosure. This area should be in the high 70's. Other heating methods include heat tapes or cables that are likewise placed under one side of the tank to heat it. Regardless of how you heat the cage, I would recommend a rheostat or dimmer switch to regulate the amount of heat given off by these devices. A cheap dimmer switch purchased from a hardware store or home improvement center will work fine. A dimmer switch will allow you to fine-tune the temperature in the cage. The expense of a dimmer switch is well worth it if it can prevent the death of your snake. Proportional thermostats, such as those made by Helix Controls, are probably the best way to control heating devises. They measure the temperature inside the cage and automatically adjust the heat output of the heating devise to maintain the correct temperature. Although expensive, I use Helix controls due to their accuracy. No specific light requirements are needed as these snakes are mostly nocturnal. However, a fluorescent light will allow you to better see your new pet.

        Cage furnishings can be kept simple. 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. The cage will also need a sturdy water bowl large enough for your snake to completely submerse itself in. Snakes will often soak prior to shedding their skin or after eating. A rock large enough to be difficult for the snake to move should also be provided to allow the snake to rub against in starting a shed. Lastly, two hide boxes need to be placed in the cage: One on the warm side and one on the cool side to allow the snake to feel comfortable when inactive. A good hide box or container has just enough room for the snake to squeeze into after a meal. The tighter it is the more secure the snake will feel. A hide with a top entrance hole seems to be better than a side entrance. A third hide box is sometimes used which contains moist sphagnum moss. This humidity box will help in sheds and prevent over-soaking in the water dish.

        Baby or neonate snakes should be kept in smaller enclosures as it will let you monitor the snake better and will make the snake feel less vulnerable. A ten gallon tank or a rubbermaid container make good enclosures for the first year. These cages are set up the same as the adult's cage above except the rubbermaid container has no light and will need many small holes drilled into all four sides (1/8" is a good size). Remember, the heat pad or cable should be under only one end of these small enclosures and not the entire cage. Use a thermometer to check the temperatures! Guessing is not good enough.

Feeding:

        All king snakes will do very well on a diet consisting solely of domestic rode