Buyer question
Is a California kingsnake good for beginners?
Yes: our Animal Library rates the California kingsnake 4 out of 5 for beginners (good first snake).
Source: the California kingsnake page in the Everybarn Animal Library. California kingsnake in the Animal Library
The detail
The California kingsnake is a hardy, eager-feeding kingsnake from the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico, best known in banded and striped forms. Kingsnakes eat other snakes in the wild, and that shapes how they are kept: always alone.
- Best fit
- First snake, pattern fans
- Handling
- 3 out of 5 (Nippy and musky when young)
- Setup complexity
- 2 out of 5 (Locked lid, house singly)
- Feeding ease
- 5 out of 5 (Strong feeding response)
What to weigh
Hatchlings can be nippy and musky, and an adult will eat a cagemate. It is a California native, so selling captive-bred offspring in California needs a state permit.