NEWS 115
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Rhinobothryum
and
Scaphiodontophis
have
been, and still are, kept only by specialists, if
at all. By contrast, the king or milk snakes of
the genus
Lampropeltis
are very popular
and easy to keep. Although at the same
time it has to be said that not much is to be
seen of their splendid coloration in the
terrarium, as the king snakes are
crepuscular creatures that almost always
spend the whole day in hiding.
Nevertheless
Lampropeltis
are among the
most frequently kept and bred snake
species in captivity. This is undoubtedly
linked to the generally considerable
variability in the majority of species, which
means you can build up a whole collection
of king snakes. At present 21 species are
distinguished, plus there are numerous
subspecies, variants, and more recently
cultivated forms as well.
Best kept singly
In the case of very many snakes it is
advisable to keep them singly, as they are
not very sociable animals.If they are kept in
a group then competition for food can
repeatedly lead to unpleasant situations.
And if they are permanently kept in a
group then they are often reluctant to
mate. There may be exceptions, but they
don't include the king snakes! They are
Literatur
:
Behler, J. L. & F.W. King (2006): National
Audubon Society; Field Guide to North
American Reptiles and Amphibians. 23rd
printing. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 744 pp.
Köhler, G. (2003): Reptiles of Central America.
Herpeton Verlag, Offenbach. 368 pp.
Obst, F. J., Richter, K. & U. Jacob (1984): Lexikon
der Terraristik und Herpetologie. Landbuch-
Verlag, Hannover. 466 pp.
Lexicon
Coral snakes
Micrurus: means ”small tail”
Micruroides: means ”similar to
Micrurus”
Lampropeltis: means ”shining scales”
Erythrolamprus: means ”brilliant red”
Pliocercus: means ”more tail”
Rhinobothryum:means ”Bothryum
with a nose”; Bothryum is another
snake genus
Scaphiodontophis: means ”snake
with spatulate teeth”
Top left to bottom right:
Lampropeltis pyromelana knoblochi, L. triangulum gentilis, L. t. hondurensis
”Tangerine”, L. t. hondurensis.
fundamentally solitary. Moreover, because
they are inclined towards cannibalism, it is
wisest to put them together only for
breeding and then under supervision.
The terrarium for a single king snake
doesn't have to be too large: as long as the
snake, with height and width half this
measurement. King snakes live mainly on
the ground, so the branches and other
wood introduced as decor and for climbing
should be thick rather than thin. It is very
important for the snake to have a nice
place to hide during the day, ideally in the
form of a hollow piece of cork bark,
positioned horizontally and so that its
interior can be easily monitored.
Maintenance requirements in brief
The daytime temperature should lie
between 25 and 30 °C, 5 °C lower at night.A
winter rest at a temperature between 18
and 22 °C will do these snakes a lot of good.
A water dish should be provided, initially at
least. You will very quickly notice whether
or not the snake uses it for bathing. These
snakes should be fed on mice, one per
snake per week is sufficient. Because
practically all king snakes are captive bred
nowadays, they will usually have been
accustomed from an early age to accept
frozen mice, defrosted and brought up to
room temperature before use.
All coral snakes, venomous or otherwise,
breed by laying eggs. Anyone especially
interested in breeding is referred to the
copious literature available on the subject.
If you are now filled with the desire to keep
and breed coral snakes, your pet dealer can
undoubtedly order them for you from a
trustworthy wholesaler, for example
Tropenparadies in Oberhausen, Fax +49
0208-665997
Lampropeltis ruthveni
