Common kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula · Eastern kingsnake, California kingsnake
Common kingsnakes come from North America, belong to the genus Lampropeltis and are considered hardy snakes for beginners. This guide covers the eastern and the California kingsnake, which used to be classed as one species. In the wild, kingsnakes also eat other snakes, so every animal is kept on its own.
Contents 11 sections
Quick tips
- Always keep them singly. Kingsnakes eat other snakes, including their own kind.
- Make it escape-proof: Check lids, sliding doors and vents regularly.
- Wash your hands before handling: If you smell of feeders, it can trigger a feeding bite.
- Log the weight: Kingsnakes gain weight quickly. The weight curve helps you set the feeding schedule.
- Quarantine new animals for a few weeks and have a fecal sample tested.
Profile
- Length
- eastern kingsnake usually 120–180 cm, California kingsnake usually 90–120 cm
- Weight
- sexually mature from about 200 g (males) or 225 g (females)
- Life span
- 15–20 years or more
- Activity
- active at dusk and at night, likes to burrow
- Also applies to
- Lampropeltis californiae
Climate and light
- Day
- 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
- Night
- 18–22 °C (64–72 °F)
- Basking spot
- 30–35 °C (86–95 °F)
- Humidity
- 50–80%
- Light
- 12–14 hours of light during the active season. UVB is not essential, but a low-output UV lamp (2–5%) can help. Heat with a heat lamp behind a guard or a heat mat, both on a thermostat. No heat rocks.
Austria allows up to 35 °C (95 °F) in one spot and requires 60–90% humidity for the eastern kingsnake, with a third of the floor slightly damp. The German guideline gives 25–30 °C (77–86 °F) and about 5 °C (9 °F) less at night. About 30 °C (86 °F) is enough at the basking spot.
Enclosure
For an adult of about 120 cm, at least 150 × 60 × 60 cm (L × W × H). This meets the German guideline and Austria's 0.9 m² of floor area. Larger eastern kingsnakes up to 180 cm need 180 × 90 × 90 cm under the German guideline. Kingsnakes are escape artists, so secure lids and doors well. Each snake gets its own enclosure.
- Substrate
- Good for burrowing, such as soil, sand or bark mulch, with a small area slightly damp.
- Setup
- Hides on the warm and the cool side, a humid hide with moss, a few climbing branches, a heavy water bowl the snake fits into completely, a thermometer and a hygrometer.
Minimum sizes
GermanyGuideline
Length 1 × total length, width 0.5 ×, height 0.5 ×. A guideline value: in individual cases the enclosure may be up to about 10% smaller.
Source [3]
AustriaLaw
1 animal up to 20 cm: 0.1 m² floor area, 0.2 m high · 20–50 cm: 0.2 m², 0.3 m · 50–100 cm: 0.5 m², 0.4 m · adults: 0.9 m², 0.6 m. California and eastern kingsnakes must be kept singly.
Source [4]
SwitzerlandLaw
The Animal Protection Ordinance does not list common kingsnakes by name. The enclosure must be large enough for all the necessary structures. Expert reports serve as a guide.
Source [5]
Feeding
Juvenileup to about 1.5 yearsevery 5–7 days
Pinky mouse, Fuzzy mouse · as thick as the thickest part of the body, at most 1.5 times that
Adultfrom about 1.5 yearsevery 7–14 days
Adult mouse, Rat pup · as thick as the thickest part of the body, at most 1.5 times that
Feed freshly killed or thawed prey. Adults eat one to three mice per meal. Don't handle them for 48 hours after a meal, or they may regurgitate it. Kingsnakes are eager eaters, so watch the weight, or they get too fat. Some young snakes won't take mice at first.
Shedding
The skin normally comes off in one piece. Many kingsnakes soak before a shed, so the water bowl should be big enough. A humid hide with moss helps. If remnants stick to the eyes (eye caps), don't pull them off yourself. Have a vet remove them.
Brumation
Recommended for healthy animals. The German guideline advises 10–15 °C (50–59 °F). Depending on origin, Austria gives 2–5 months at 8–15 °C (46–59 °F) for the California kingsnake and at 5–15 °C (41–59 °F) for the eastern kingsnake. Always offer water.
Breeding
- Sexual maturity
- at about 1.5 years, males from about 200 g, females from about 225 g
- Clutch
- 3–24 eggs, about 11 on average
- Incubation
- 60–70 days at 26–29 °C (79–84 °F)
Kingsnakes eat other snakes. For mating, only put together animals of about the same size, stay with them and separate them again afterward. Gravid females need a laying box with damp substrate.
Protection status and registration
As of October 21, 2026
EU
Not protected under wildlife trade law (neither CITES nor the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation).
Source [8]
Germany
No duty to register and no proof of origin required under species protection law.
Source [9]
Austria
Report to the authorities within two weeks that you keep reptiles. Since July 1, 2026, you need to take a training course (at least 4 × 60 minutes) before your first reptile. A thermometer and a hygrometer are required, and the snakes must be kept singly.
Switzerland
No permit needed.
Source [5]
This is not legal advice. Rules change, so check with the responsible authority if in doubt.
Health
No substitute for a vet. If your animal seems sick, refuses food for an unusually long time or loses weight, see a vet with experience in reptiles.
Respiratory infection
Signs wheezing or bubbling when breathing, mucus at the nose or mouth, open-mouth breathing
What to do Check temperature and humidity and see a vet soon.
Mites
Signs tiny dark dots, often around the eyes and chin, the snake soaks for unusually long
What to do See a vet. Clean the enclosure thoroughly and replace the decor.
Mouth rot
Signs redness, coating or swelling in the mouth, not eating
What to do See a vet. Don't wait.
Stuck shed
Signs skin comes off in pieces, remnants on the eyes or tail tip
What to do Offer a humid hide and check the humidity. Have a vet remove retained eye caps.
Obesity
Signs weight goes up month after month, the body looks round
What to do Feed less often or smaller feeders, and weigh regularly.
Egg binding
Signs the female searches for a long time and doesn't lay, eggs stay visible in the belly for days
What to do Offer a humid laying box. If she still doesn't lay, see a vet.
Sources
- Basic Information Sheet: Kingsnakes
- Kingsnake Care Sheet
- Gutachten über Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Reptilienofficial
- 2. Tierhaltungsverordnung, § 5, § 8 und Anlage 3 (Mindestanforderungen an die Haltung von Reptilien)official
- Tierschutzverordnung (TSchV, SR 455.1), Art. 89 und Anhang 2 (Vorbemerkungen, Tabelle 5 Reptilien)official
- Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)
- California Kingsnake Care, Breeding and Morphs
- Verordnung (EU) 2026/1383 zur Änderung der Anhänge der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 338/97 (CITES-Vertragsstaatenkonferenz 2025)official
- Bundesartenschutzverordnung (BArtSchV), § 7, §§ 12–13 und Anlagen 5 und 6official
- Tierschutzgesetz (TSchG), § 13 und § 25official
Values without a source are common experience from keeping and breeding. Every animal is different, so watch yours and adjust its care. As of October 21, 2026.
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