Buyer question
Is an Eastern kingsnake good for beginners?
Yes: our Animal Library rates the Eastern kingsnake 4 out of 5 for beginners (good first snake).
Source: the Eastern kingsnake page in the Everybarn Animal Library. Eastern kingsnake in the Animal Library
The detail
The eastern kingsnake is the chain kingsnake of the eastern US, glossy black with narrow white or yellow chain-like bands. It is a powerful, heavy-bodied snake that eats other snakes in the wild, including venomous ones.
- Best fit
- Keepers wanting a big king
- 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
It grows larger and stronger than most kingsnakes and needs a bigger enclosure. Wild populations have declined in parts of the range, so buy captive-bred with a hatch record.