San Luis Potosi King Snakes

Lampropeltis mexicana mexicana

King Snakes are a common snake kept as pets. San Luis Potosi kings are beautiful animals in their normal wild type appearance. They are commonly referred to as “Mex Mex” by herpers.

Locality:  San Luis Potosi King Snakes are found in only six states in northern Mexico, mainly mountainous, dry pine and oak forest areas surrounding San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Coahuila, Nueva Leon, Tamaulipas.

Size:  San Luis Potosi King snakes are between 6-8 inches as hatchlings and can reach 2-4 feet as adults.  Females tend to be larger than the males.

Lifespan:  King snakes can live up to 20 years in captivity.

Caging:  Hatchlings can be kept in plastic shoebox containers with holes drilled into the sides for adequate air ventilation.  I prefer plastic tubs for caging over the commonly seen glass aquariams.  Glass does not work well at holding heat and those screen lids that are used for them can make it a nightmare to keep constant humidity levels for species that have strict humidity requirements.  King Snakes should be housed seperately unless being bred to avoid canabalism.  A hide should be provided on both sides of the cage to allow the snake to feel secure whether it wants to be on the warm or cool side. (King snakes like all snakes are escape artist and should always be provided with an escape proof enclosure).

Heating:  A hot spot of 86-88 degrees should be provided along with a cool side in the mid 70's.  A thermostat or rheostat should always be used to control the heating device.  If using heat pads plugged directly into the outlet, they can reach temperatures in excess of 120 degrees which is WAY to hot for your snake which can lead to burns or even worse.  A thermal gradient should be provided allowing the snake to escape the high temperature and reside in a cooler temperature if it wants to.

Substrate:  I prefer using newspaper or paper towels as substrate for multiple reasons.  As  they are not the most pleasant to look at, it does make cleaning much easier, Is very cost effective and most importantly, sanitary.  Many like to use aspen which is fine but cedar bedding should NEVER be used for your snakes as it is toxic to them.

Feeding:   King Snakes are constrictors and generally have a strong feeding response.  As hatchlings San Luis Potosi King Snakes should be fed pinky mice once a week.  As they grow, so should their food items.  The best way to determine what size prey your snake should be eating is by feeding items that are slightly larger than the girth of the snakes body.  Keep in mind that King snakes are cannabalistic and will eat other snakes if given the opportunity.  With this said it is obvious that king snakes should NEVER be housed together with other snakes, you may come in to find one less snake in the cage and the other a little bigger than the day before.... Feeding live rodents is never a good idea, Live rodents carry parasites and can injure or worse, kill your snake.  Either Frozen thawed rodents or pre-killed rodents are preffered. Freezing rodents will kill any parasites that may have been living on the rodent and obviously eliminates the chances of the rodent hurting your snake. Fresh water should always be available for drinking.

Handling:  King Snakes tend to be a very active snake.  They can be very squirmy as hatchlings but with regular handling they will usually calm down nicely.  Always allow atleast 48 hours after feeding before handling your snake.  This 48 hours is crucial for digestion.  Handling within this time can cause the snake to regurgitate its meal which can lead to chronic regurgitation and can prove to be a very stressful ordeal for both the keeper and the animal.