Mexican Black Kingsnake

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Mexican Black Kingsnake

Scientific Name

  • The scientific name of the Mexican Black Kingsnake is Lampropeltis getula nigrita.

General Information

  • This is a non-venomous type of snake.
  • It has beautiful shiny black scales throughout the whole body.
  • It is easy to tame and keep in captivity, hence suitable as a pet snake for beginner snake enthusiasts.
  • This species is one of the most popular snakes in the pet industry.
  • They are docile and easy to handle.
  • They are nocturnal animals. It means that they are active at night.

Distribution

  • Most Mexican Black Kingsnakes are found in Sonora, northwestern of Mexico.
  • However, some of them can be seen in southern Arizona.

Breeding

  • The breeding season of the snakes is between March and June.

Nesting

  • There are 6 to 12 eggs laid per clutch.
  • The eggs incubation period is about 65 to 82 days at 27°C to 28°C.
  • The size of each hatchling is around 18 cm to 20 cm.

Size

  • This is a modest size snake.
  • The adult snake can grow up to 4 feet long.

Life Span

  • In the wild, the snake can live up to 15 years.

Mexican Black Kingsnake Food and Feeding

  • Naturally, Mexican Black Kingsnake eats other reptiles such as lizards, birds, rodents, or amphibians such as frogs and toads.
  • Like other kingsnakes, they eat other venomous and non-venomous snakes.
  • In captivity, you should feed the snake with raised mice for around 4 to 6 days.

Habitat and Enclosure Housing Requirements

  • In nature, the snakes live in dry areas of semi-desert mountainous areas.
  • The snake is an Ophiophagus animal. It should be housed separately from other snakes in captivity.
  • The housing day temperature should be kept at 26°C to 32°C.
  • While the night temperature needs to be set at 21°C to 24°C range.
  • Try to keep the humidity low.

Common Disease

  • It’s unknown to us at the moment.
  • However, we will update the care sheet we do a further study on this. 

Other Information about Mexican Black Kingsnake

  • If you would like to have s Mexican Black Kingsnake as a pet, it is a good practice to get a captive snake as a pet since they are more docile and easy to handle.