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Kingsnake Vs. Cornsnake

T

tyretosmom

New member
My husband fell in love with one of the king snakes at our local reptile shop. I really want to get it for him for his birthday and was wondering if The care is the same as a corn snake. I did a search on kingsnake care sheets and I found some things that sounded wierd to me, (is it okay to keep kings on sand, and feed them dusted crickets?) You all helped me so much with my corns and am wondering if anyone can tell me anything about kings that i should know before I get one. I know this is a corn site but I feel I can trust you guys so much more then a website.
thank you,
Jaimee
 
dusted crickets? I dont think so lol. sand? one of the most noted king/milk snake breeders in the world Robert Applegate keeps his kings on sand I think(not possitive about that) , but sand isn't the most common substrate. as far as kings vs. corns. There are many verrieties of kings and many of them need different care then corns. What type of king are you considering?
 
Hi there, I currently have 5 kings and and I care for them almost exactly as I do for my Corns.I don't beleive in sand as as a substate, I think you are better off with Aspen. Forget all about dusted crickets and stick with rodents.
Most kings have voracious appetites, especially those from the getula group.
I have an eastern king and a florida king that are absolutely insatiable and easy to handle, except when it's feeding time. I have a gray band that also has a healthy appetite. My Mexican Milk is on small mice now also, and is becoming more docile by the day(used to musk a lot) Finally, I have an adult female Arizona Mountain King, she is fantastic, absolutely as tame as a snake can get, she has a tendency to go off feeding this time of year, probably senses the season change. Sorry to be so long winded, but as I have a variety of kings, I thought you'd like to know their personalites. One other note, if you get the king, make sure you wash your hands before handling your cornsnakes, they can get a little flighty if they smell lampropeltis on you.
Also I keep my kings in a different room.

Good Luck
Mike B
 
I was told HE is a san luis potosi, But I grow more confused when I try and search for information, I believe he might be a mexi mex, I may be way off on this so if any one can help clear this up. He is good size two feet and he is filled in quite well. I was told that they grow long then put on girth similar to a corn but this little guys filled in nice. He does not look over wieght to me either. I did ask where he came from as he is not a hatchling, she told me that it belonged to a guy who had it for his son and they where moving and couln't take it with. When we took the snake out and handled him he was very calm. Okay ive got so many questions that im just going to list them
1. how much is a normal king sell for i don't want to be taken.
2. when buying what should i be looking for and what should i not be looking for? ( Anything paticular to kings.)
3. should I consider buying a hatchling because I don't really know how old this snake is where it came from or anything like that.
4. I was told when he sheds his colors wont change very much like a corns snake does, Is this true?
5. are males more agressive then females, vice versa?
 
"mex mex" and "san luis potosi" are the same. They are part of the complex mexicana group which at one time also included the gray banded king snakes. You will see them sometimes as " variable kings". San Luis Potosi being the mexicana phase, there is also the "thayeri" and "greeri" phase. There are many color morphs in this group and as a rule are small docile king snakes, usually about 3' is tops. Now as for your questions, it depends on what you mean by "Normal king" To me that would be a banded Cal King or a Florida King, which should sell for $25-40 when they are hatchlings. You can usually pick up some of the variables for slightly more. What you should look for in a king, attentiveness, the snake should be actively moving around when you hold him, not limp and excessively calm in your hands(like any other snake) make sure the vent is clean, no lumps, scars etc. I have puchased kings of unknown age without any problems, price may be a factor with that question. Most of my Kings change color drastically when in the blue, don't know where that info came from. I have noticed no behavioral differences between the sexes, kings are generally not aggressive, but just like corns, there's one in every crowd. I hope this helped you a little. I love kingsnakes as much as I do corns. San Luis Potosi's can be really pretty, usually red,black and grey. If you get him post a pic here in the general chit chat forum.
Regards

Mike B
 
As already stated.....

With few exceptions, the husbandry basics for North American colubrids are almost identical (temps, food, bedding, and housing). A Kingsnake will make as wonderful of a pet as a corn. :spinner:
 
gezzz

It only took me about an hour but i finally figured out this photo thing. I hope this works.....(crossing my fingers). He is such a nice snake. He wont hold still for a photo though. A good sign I guess. So ones a body shot the other is a head shot.

kings1.jpg

king2.jpg


Jaimee
 
So, I'm assuming you got him. Nice looking snake. That is a classic San Luis Potosi. Should make an excellent pet for you.
 
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