Mexican Black KingSnake
About Mexican Black Kingsnakes
Area of origin: South-Western United States and Central America
Adult size: 3-5ft
Captive lifespan: 20+ years
Housing, heating & lighting
Enclosure
Mexican Black Kingsnakes, or MBKs as we’ll call them going forward, are energetic and agile snakes. They’ll spend much of the day hiding away, but at night time they love to explore and climb. Due to this, providing them with a large sized enclosure is beneficial. A well ventilated vivarium measuring 4 x 2 x 2ft is great for an adult MBK- of course, feel free to keep hatchlings and juveniles in a smaller space if need be.
As MBKs prefer to hide away during the day, provide them with at least two hiding spots on the ground- one at either end of the enclosure. That’s the minimum requirement, your snake will certainly appreciate more places to hide away. I like to use a mixture of purpose made snake hides, and natural pieces of cork bark and branches. Using artificial foliage also helps in creating areas above ground level for you MBK to feel secure.
MBKs are great at climbing, so providing them with branches will not only keep them happy, it’ll also encourage them to climb and stay fit and healthy.
Substrate should be easy to burrow in, as these snakes really love to dig down and tunnel- you’ll often see a tail poking out on one side of the enclosure, and a little face watching you from elsewhere. I use Lignocel as a substrate- it’s easy to clean, cheap to buy, and most importantly, excellent for building tunnels! I’ve used Aspen in the past but found it to be a bit too dusty. You’re aiming for a humidity of 40-50%, so keep your substrate nice and dry.
Heating
When it comes to heating, it’s all about providing a heat gradient. As with any reptile, MBKs thermoregulate themselves by using their surroundings. They’ll burrow to cool down, so heat mats aren’t the best idea. Instead, provide heat from above- I like to use ceramic heat emitters. The cooler end of your enclosure should be 24°C during the day, with the temperature rising to 28°C towards the warmer end. The basking temperature should be no higher than 33°C
Lighting
Mexican Black Kingsnakes require a day/night cycle, so some form of lighting is required. You can introduce UVB at 6% if you choose. As MBKs are most active at dawn and dusk, they would gain UVB exposure during these periods, and it is widely considered to be beneficial. If you’d prefer not to introduce UVB, LED lights will provide the prompt your snake needs that it is day or night time. Make sure they lights are on a timer so your snake has a routine they can become familiar with.
Feeding & handling
Feeding
Time to chow down! MBKs enjoy mice as their staple diet, however the odd rat pup or day old chick is great for variety. It’s very easy for an MBK to become overweight, so make sure you stick to a feeding schedule. A meal per week for a juvenile, and every 10-14 days for an adult is plenty.
Handling
MBKs have mixed reviews when it comes to handling. Some are good as gold (like mine- he’s a sweetheart), and some will latch onto your fingers given the first opportunity. It’s good practice to not handle your snake on the day of feeding, and the day after- they tend to be a little edgy around this time. Handle juveniles frequently to help socialise them and get them accustomed to being held.
MBKs, as well as some other kingsnakes, have the ability to spray musk- they’ll do it most often when they’re afraid. If it does happen, think about what may have scared your snake and avoid doing it again. Make sure you pick them up gently, and don’t make fast movements to grab them, and you should have a relaxed snake on your hands!