California Kingsnake

California Kingsnake care at a glance

Adult length

0.9–1.2 m (3–3.9 ft)

Adult weight

0.4–1 kg (0.9–2.2 lb)

Lifespan

15–20 years

Basking / warm side

29–32 °C (84–90 °F)

Cool side

22–26 °C (72–79 °F)

Night minimum

20 °C (68 °F)

Humidity

40–60%

UVB

Optional (low-level is beneficial)

Diet

Rodents

Activity

Crepuscular

Lifestyle

Terrestrial

Eats other snakes: always house alone.

Typical values from common keeping practice, not yet reviewed. Individual animals and setups vary. See the enclosure size guide.

California Kingsnake morphs and genes

3 genes in our list. Log your animal's genetics and Reptilytics builds its morph name for you, or try the california kingsnake genetics calculator.

California Kingsnake research

39 published papers in the HerpAtlas library. Most cited below, or see the latest research →

• Burmese Pythons

  CRC Press eBooks · 2017 · cited 131 times

• Systematics of the Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula; Serpentes: Colubridae) and the burden of heritage in taxonomy

  Zootaxa · 2009 · cited 54 times

• Genetics of color pattern polymorphism in the California kingsnake

  Journal of Heredity · 1981 · cited 28 times

• Pathology and Molecular Characterization of Two Novel Atadenoviruses in Colubrid Snakes

  Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery · 2008 · cited 21 times

• Chemosensory Identification of Lizard-Eating Snakes in the Desert Iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis (Squamata: Iguanidae)

  Journal of Herpetology · 2002 · cited 21 times

• Effects of Fragmentation on the Spatial Ecology of the California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)

  Journal of Herpetology · 2015 · cited 20 times

• How snakes eat snakes: the biomechanical challenges of ophiophagy for the California kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula californiae (Serpentes: Colubridae).

  Zoology (Jena, Germany) · 2004 · cited 13 times

• Invasive snake causes massive reduction of all endemic herpetofauna on Gran Canaria.

  Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2021 · cited 12 times

California Kingsnake natural history notes

Field and captive observations published in Herpetological Review's Natural History Notes. Each is a single observation, summarized by us, with a link to the original.