New Mexican Black Kingsnake

Finally getting my MBK. She'll be here tomorrow by 10:30 morning. She's a month old hatchling.

I have my T8 split in half, going to put her in there, until she gets bigger. Then maybe she'll get the whole T8.

Question... I have 2 hides, one on the cold side (approx. 80 deg) and one on the hot side (approx. 90 deg). Also have a skull hide right in the center, shelf in the back, and a fake leaf vine thrown in the back. Will that be too much space for her?

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...2_14_47_49.jpg

Congrats!!! So you officially decided MBK...good choice!!! I think you'll be happy with a King, and the MBKs are beautiful animals.

I'm not too sure of the T8 dimensions, but I believe half would be about 18"x12" floor space right?

craigafrechette, that would be a smidge under 24" x 24" for half of a T8.

My biggest concern with baby colubrids is escape. I'd be very concerned she'd manage to wiggle between the sliding doors or through the ventilation holes.

That's also a lot of space for a baby king. They can be shy as babies, and that's a lot of area to search for a little worm. [emoji846] I'd probably start her in something smaller. I've got a couple enclosures in the 18-20" x 10" neighborhood that I'd start with. You could set a smaller tub in the AP enclosure if space is an issue.

I like Cambro clear polycarbonate food service pans, webstaurantstore has good prices:
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/cam...21418CWCL.html

They don't cost an arm and a leg, almost indestructible, and I can check on occupants without opening the tub. I started my blood python in one, and currently have my problem-eater sand boa and my husband's baby Deckert's rat snake in them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Drop her temps back to 75-85*F, they can run a bit cooler than ball pythons. Also I would keep her in a smaller tub for the first year, even if it's inside the half of a T8.

Substrate? They burrow. Mine never uses hides only burrows in substrate.

I've got my MBK on light coloured beech chippings to emphasise his coloration.
He never burrows but he's got loads of pieces of stripped bark and fake foliage ( poundland ) .

As regards the possible gap between the sliding glass doors - I used to slot a plastic / perspex 30cm ruler inbetween the glass ( cut down to size if required ) .

I would agree that that is too big, and yeah, escapes with small colubrids like that are always a risk. I would throw a smaller tub right in there.

I run my Kings enclosure in the 80-82 range with a hot spot 88ish

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Substrate? They burrow. Mine never uses hides only burrows in substrate.

---

Our Thayeri-phase and MBK used their hides as youngsters, but any more they hang out and watch what's going on outside their enclosures. I call them our busybody snakes. [emoji4]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Congrats!!! So you officially decided MBK...good choice!!! I think you'll be happy with a King, and the MBKs are beautiful animals.

I'm not too sure of the T8 dimensions, but I believe half would be about 18"x12" floor space right?

---

Thank you. Yes, I pretty much had my mind set on the MBK, but it has been very hard to find, especially young and female. I am also currently working on getting a ball python.

The AP T8 is 48" long x 24" depth x 12" height. But, with the split, the king's side would be 24"x24"x12" (actual inside dimensions are a tad smaller).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Prognathodon

My biggest concern with baby colubrids is escape. I'd be very concerned she'd manage to wiggle between the sliding doors or through the ventilation holes.

That's also a lot of space for a baby king. They can be shy as babies, and that's a lot of area to search for a little worm. I'd probably start her in something smaller. I've got a couple enclosures in the 18-20" x 10" neighborhood that I'd start with. You could set a smaller tub in the AP enclosure if space is an issue.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

Drop her temps back to 75-85*F, they can run a bit cooler than ball pythons. Also I would keep her in a smaller tub for the first year, even if it's inside the half of a T8.

---

When I get her tomorrow, I will check her size against the sliding door gap and the vent holes. If she stays in this T8, I can probably put in a bunch more branches and foliage to pretty much cover her up completely.

If I get a smaller tub and place it inside this bigger enclosure, how would I create a temp variant of 75-85 on one side and 85-95 on the other?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Substrate? They burrow. Mine never uses hides only burrows in substrate.

---

Its not in there yet... but, I have the Reptichip for substrate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

As regards the possible gap between the sliding glass doors - I used to slot a plastic / perspex 30cm ruler inbetween the glass ( cut down to size if required ).

---

Good idea. Will keep that in mind, as well as something with vent holes if after comparing snake-to-hole size it looks problematic.

I started my hatchling kings in 40g tanks. As long as they have plenty of hides and floor covering the snake should be fine. If it's a baby it may stay hidden quite a bit, which they do anyway, but I don't think the enclosure size will stress her out. The ventilation holes are pretty thin on the T8 but still make sure your girl cant get through them. I started a 31g carpet hatchling in a split T8 and he never escaped but kings are a little smaller. My king hatchlings were like 12g. I do think your hides are too large. They prefer tight fitting hides especially when they're younger. I also think a hot spot of 86-88 is ideal and ambient temps in the mid 70s are fine. Looking forward to oics of your new critter. Kings are fun little snakes.

Basically everything El-Ziggy said. MBKs are great eaters and mine has never skipped a meal. They don't seem to get nearly as nervous as ball pythons do, but you've gotta remember that hatchling kings are really small. Even the smallest mini hide RB sells is a going to be bigger than them.

Personally, I started mine in a 6qt tub with aspen substrate, 2 hides, and a water bowl. I moved up to a 15qt when it hit 100g and then up to a 28qt tub now that it's nearly 200g. Currently, King's favorite hide is a hollowed out piece of wood that's just a bit larger than a cardboard toilet paper roll. He barely fits in it and he loves it. I have a few bigger hides in there, but that's where I see him the most.

As long as she can't get out you should be okay, but I would definitely put her in something smaller.

Anyway, congrats! They're gorgeous snakes. :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by the_rotten1

Personally, I started mine in a 6qt tub with aspen substrate, 2 hides, and a water bowl. I moved up to a 15qt when it hit 100g and then up to a 28qt tub now that it's nearly 200g. Currently, King's favorite hide is a hollowed out piece of wood that's just a bit larger than a cardboard toilet paper roll. He barely fits in it and he loves it. I have a few bigger hides in there, but that's where I see him the most.

As long as she can't get out you should be okay, but I would definitely put her in something smaller.

---

I have the heat source set all up for the larger enclosure, but how would you do the heat for a 6qt tub?

The little girl hasn't arrived yet, so haven't seen her size... though, I can't imagine that it'll be small enough to squeeze through ventilation holes that are about 3mm sized.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...3_08_32_19.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Charles8088

I have the heat source set all up for the larger enclosure, but how would you do the heat for a 6qt tub?

---

For a UTH just put the tub partway over it. For an RHP you'll have to play with the tub's position in the enclosure so one side is heated and the other isn't.

Also remember 80-90 is a bit high for a king.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

For a UTH just put the tub partway over it. For an RHP you'll have to play with the tub's position in the enclosure so one side is heated and the other isn't.

Also remember 80-90 is a bit high for a king.

---

I thought mbk's needed a high of about 90. That's what I seem to be reading everywhere. What's the appropriate overall low/high temps, and gradients, I should shoot for?

Ok... so, while I think I can probably throw enough items inside the 24x24x12 enclosure to get her feeling secure, her small size will almost certainly make it hard to find her in there (as mentioned above). So, I went out and picked up a small 6qt plastic tub. And, I'll probably just throw it inside the enclosure... just debating on whether to use the RHP inside the enclosure, or an UTH that I own from a different animal.

But... regarding hides inside the 6qt... being that she's small, can I just get a bunch of crumbled pages of paper and throw it in there, or should I really put 2 small hides in there?

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...3_09_42_26.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...3_12_28_18.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...12_27_38_2.jpg

For my baby water python I started out with loosely-crumpled paper towels and a hide, and the snake ignored both and hid under the paper towel substrate. [emoji57]

If your hides are ridiculously oversized for her, I'd just go with the paper.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

She looks great!! Congrats!!
I have had good luck using the cardboard tubes from toilet paper and paper towels for my colubrids until they outgrow them. And yeah, I've used crumpled paper towels in juvenile enclosures to add clutter/hides. Just replace with clean ones as needed.