Lampropeltis floridana (Florida kingsnake)

Origin: America (South Florida)
Length: 1.5 to 2 meters
Age: 12-18 years
The Florida kingsnake is a king snake species that is found in the south of the state of Florida in America. The scaling of this variety is smooth and shiny. The basic color is yellow with black. The most southern variety is red with black to completely red. Males of this species have a thicker root and a longer tail than the females

Grooming
Experience: Average / experienced snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey (young mice, adult mice and baby rats).
Feed adult: Every 7 to 10 days.
Feed young: Every 4 to 6 days
Water bowl: Yes
Change the water: 3 times a week

Nutrition
The Florida Kingsnake is just like other kingsnakes a real choke snake, so it can also eat prey larger than its head. Be careful not to breed too large prey. Often these are not accepted and if they are accepted they can be spit out after which an animal sometimes does not want to eat for weeks. Therefore, it is best to feed the snake with (multiple) small prey that is thicker than the thickest part of the snake's body. In the wild, they eat other reptiles and small rodents. In captivity, this diet can be perfectly simulated with only rodents. It is advisable to offer this death. This is more practical and prevents the food animals from injuring your snake. We recommend that you present the food animals with a pair of tongs and that you feed your snake outside the enclosure. This has the advantage that your hand is not associated with food.
If you are going for live food, you must supervise the feeding. If you keep the Florida Kingsnake together with other animals, you will have to take them apart before feeding, as the snakes sometimes injure each other while feeding.

In captivity Florida kingsnakes can become obese, so it is important that you regularly weigh your snake and adjust feeding accordingly. Obesity is associated with various other diseases and health problems.

Water
It is good to have water available for your Florida Kingsnake. Not only for drinking, but also for bathing. To allow this, the water bowl must be large enough for the snake to lie in it with its whole body and preferably a little bigger itself.

Cleaning
A hygienic living environment is important to keep your hose healthy. In order to achieve this, the accommodation will have to be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once a week is regular enough. In addition, to prevent the build-up of bacteria, the entire accommodation must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.

Handling
It can be useful to handle your snake to feed the Florida Kingsnake and to clean the enclosure. Of course, this must be done properly so that the snake and you are safe. Handle the hose with a hose hook or lift it with both hands. Do not hang your snake around your neck, because if the snake falls it will soon clamp itself around your neck. In addition, there are some important things to watch out for when handling a Florida king snake. First, make sure your snake realizes that you are going to handle it and move gently when you handle it. Also make sure your hands are washed and don't smell like food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is shedding and do not handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 1 snake: 120 x 40 x 60 cm
Laying area: 1m2.
Day temperature: 25-30oC
Night temperature: 20-24oC
Hours of light: 12 hours
Ground cover: Newspapers, coco peat, bark or peat litter

Design
The Florida Kingsnake doesn't need a massive enclosure. The water bowl should be large enough for the hose to bathe in. Also make sure that this water bowl is stable so that they cannot knock it over. Finally, the hose must be allowed to pull away. You can achieve this by offering the snake hiding options in the form of an inverted flower pot or an artificial cave.
Before the stay, there are some extra things that need to be taken into account. The Florida Kingsnake, for example, is quite good at escaping and care will have to be taken to prevent them from just opening their door. You can do this by putting a lock on the accommodation. In addition, ventilation is required 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: Strangulation snake
Lifestyle: Land inhabiting

Character
Most Florida kingsnakes like to lie in hiding, but like to come out when they are hungry to actively search for food.

Points of attention
The Florida Kingsnake is able to eat prey larger than its head. For a large snake, these can even be other pets (guinea pigs, for example). Therefore, never leave your snake alone with other pets. Always separate young animals as they can often display cannibalistic behavior.

Legislation: You do not need CITES or transfer papers to own this hose.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for the accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. All together this can 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 snake happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.