Florida King

So I have a Florida King stripe at work. He is super chill and we hang out all the time. He has a perfect omega symbol on his head. Like no joke, omega symbol. I'm thinking about taking him home. There really are not any stickies on Florida kings? Anything I absolutely need to know? I have all the equipment. It I don't know the correct husbandry. So before I decide I need to know the nitty gritty and set it all up first.

oh and my hubby is going to kill me lol

Keep like you might most terrestrial NA colubrids. Temp ranges from low 70s to low 80s. They're more arboreal as youngsters but older animals can and will take to the trees too. The most common mistake is probably overfeeding. They will pretty much eat anything, anytime.

He gets a fuzzy now and yes...if I let him he would keep eating. He doesn't climb the plant, in fact he burrows in the substrate. What about humidity? Do I need a hot hide and cool hide like my ball?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

He gets a fuzzy now and yes...if I let him he would keep eating. He doesn't climb the plant, in fact he burrows in the substrate. What about humidity? Do I need a hot hide and cool hide like my ball?

---

I would think offering Florida kingsnakes a microclimate is the way to go. Think about the Florida temperatures and how they thrive there. Colubrids in general need a kind of moist area to go to (not wet) but definitely not overly dry. I keep garter snakes and mountain kingsnakes and they all get varying degrees but not overly dry areas either.

I personally think you can't go wrong with a King. I LOVE my boy, Django. I've kept Kings for years and absolutely LOVE the species. Husbandry is more forgiving and easier to achieve than BPs, so you will do fine.

Uva or uvb at all? And what cage for an adult. Boople will be in a t10 eventually.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Uva or uvb at all? And what cage for an adult. Boople will be in a t10 eventually.

---

Sorry for delayed reply, been logging some crazy hours at work the last few weeks...

No light requirements.

My boy, Django, is in a 40 breeder. He's and adult a little over 4 feet and about 676 grams. Some say a 30 gallon is fine for an adult, but I personally couldn't imagine putting Django in a 30, he uses EVERY inch of his 40.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by craigafrechette

Sorry for delayed reply, been logging some crazy hours at work the last few weeks...

No light requirements.

My boy, Django, is in a 40 breeder. He's and adult a little over 4 feet and about 676 grams. Some say a 30 gallon is fine for an adult, but I personally couldn't imagine putting Django in a 30, he uses EVERY inch of his 40.

---

They don't require the lights but if you decide to use plants or just want a naturally decorated enclosure the lights will look great.

Ok so 40 breeder,

uth with thermostat. What do I set the stat at?

i use reptile prime is that ok?

plants and foliage to climb.

how many hides?

i don't need a light for a hot spot.

humidity needs to be? I'm assuming humid since you know Florida lol.

anything else?

Thanks for everyone's help.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Ok so 40 breeder,

---

If you can, I would really try for another T-10 or 4' equivalent. Kingsnakes are pretty active and Florida kingsnakes are one of the larger species.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

uth with thermostat. What do I set the stat at?

---

I typically use 85F, but you could probably go 90 F. It is just a hot spot so hey can move at their leisure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

i use reptile prime is that ok?

---

It should be fine. Kingsnakes in particular seem to like to bury themselves a little bit in substrate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

how many hides?

---

Interestingly, given the above, my kingsnakes seldom seem to use dedicated hides. I have given them a variety and they are almost never used. I would go with a deeper substrate and lots of "clutter", but a hide on the warm and cool side would probably be nice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

humidity needs to be? I'm assuming humid since you know Florida lol.

---

Humidity is not critical. I suspect with reptile prime, you'll have relatively high humidity anyhow.