Origin: North America
Length: up to 150 centimeters
Age: up to 25

The desert kingsnake gets its name from the shiny dorsum of the snake is colored black or very dark brown. Along the undersides, pale yellow scales may predominate. The abdomen of both adult and juvenile snakes is usually black, with white or pale yellow spots marking the tips of the ventral plates

Care
Experience: Novice snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey.
Adult feeding: Every 10 to 20 days
Feeding young: Every 5 to 7 days
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: 3 times a week

Nutrition
There is the choice to present the prey alive or dead. It is recommended to offer dead food. This is more practical and prevents the food animal from injuring your snake. It is also advised to offer the food animal with feeding tongs and to feed your snake outside the enclosure. This ensures that your hand is not associated with food and prevents your snake from reaching for your hand while feeding. If you do go for live food, you must supervise the feeding. The prey animal can also injure the snake. Feed the rat snake separately, because when two snakes catch the same prey, they can injure each other and sometimes eat each other themselves. The ideal prey is about as wide as the widest part of the snake.

Water
The desert kingsnake is a true lover of water. In addition to drinking it, they also bathe in it. The water bowl must therefore be large enough for the snake to bathe in it with its entire body. This bathing can cause the water to become dirty, so it is not a problem if the water is changed more than 3 times a week.

Cleaning
The accommodation must be kept clean to prevent diseases and bacteria build-up. This can be done by doing this weekly. In addition, it is wise to thoroughly clean and disinfect the accommodation a few times a year. This prevents the build-up of bacteria. When cleaning, make sure that you also clean the climbing branches and elevations.

Handling
To feed the desert kingsnake and to clean the enclosure, your snake will have to be handled. This must of course be done properly so that the snake and you are safe. Handle the hose with a hose hook or lift it with two hands. Do not hang your snake around your neck, because if the snake falls, it will clamp around your neck. In addition, there are some important things to keep in mind when handling a desert kingsnake. First make sure that your snake realizes that you are going to handle it and move slowly when handling it. Also make sure your hands are washed and don't smell like food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is molting and do not handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum stay size for 1 hose: 100x50x50 cm
Lying surface: 1m2 with at least one raised lounger per hose on which the hose can lie.
Day temperature: 25-35C
Night temperature: 15- 20C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity: 40%-60%
Ground cover: Newspapers, bark, peat, sand or peat litter

Design
The desert king snake is an opportunistic hunter who likes to explore its environment. Also make sure that this water bowl is sturdy so they can't knock it over. Finally, the snake must be given the opportunity to pull away. You can achieve this by providing the snake with hiding places in the form of an inverted flower pot or an artificial cave.

There are a few extra things to pay attention to before your stay. The desert kingsnake, for example, is quite good at escaping and care must be taken to ensure that they cannot open their door just like that. You can do this by putting a lock on the accommodation. Ventilation is also necessary to keep the air fresh and it is advisable to place the accommodation out of the bright sun and as vibration-free as possible.
Before the stay there are some extra things to pay attention to. The desert kingsnake, for example, are quite good at escaping and it will have to be ensured that they cannot open their door just like that. You can do this by putting a lock on the accommodation. Ventilation is also necessary to keep the air fresh and it is advisable to place the accommodation out of the bright sun and as vibration-free as possible.

Behaviour
Hunting method: Strangler snake
Lifestyle: Day & Night Active

Character
The desert kingsnake is an active type of snake that is easy to handle if approached calmly.

Points of attention
The desert kingsnake is capable of eating prey larger than its head. For a large snake, this could even be children and pets. Therefore, never leave your snake alone with your children or pets. It is also important that the snake can choose between a warm and a less warm side of the terrarium.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation: The desert king snake falls under CITES II, to own this snake you need CITES or transfer papers. You should receive this with the purchase.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can together cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, which is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred when your hose happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.