King Snake Care Sheet

Added a king snake care sheet to the website, this time graciously donated by my good friend Tony Let me kow what you think guys:

http://www.reptileexpert.org/king-snake-care/

Nice work on the care sheet, and especially great pics! I have been working with/raising kings for many years now, however I don't consider myself an expert by ANY means. Currently, I only have 1 Desert King :-( , but I've had her for 8 years and raised her from a baby. There are a couple suggestions that I would make; you're more than welcome to take them or leave them as you please.
1. As far as housing, the dimensions you give are great. I find the easiest rule of thumb is anything that allows a snake to stretch out at least 2/3 of its body length, and the cage should be very well ventilated, as kings are prone to respiratory infections. Stretching out that much allows their lungs to stretch and cuts down on RI's. And the cage should be made out of something non-porous, so it can be easily cleaned and disinfected. (My own cage for a 4' snake is 36"x36"x18" [a little big, but she likes the room] and has glass bottom, front, and back, and screened sides and top.)
2. I may incite a riot by suggesting this, but I have found calci-sand to be a perfectly suitable substrate. Just feed on a platform or dish as you suggest. It's digestable if any is ingested, and I've never had any impaction problems.
3. Your hide suggestions are awesome! Just make sure (speaking from personal experience) that they are easy to clean and disinfect, or are disposable.
4. Water bowls are awesome!
5. I definately recommend climbs. All my kings have always climbed at times, and even rested for days at the top of their enclosures. It's best if the climb is diagonal or there are steps for it, as snakes trying to go vertical or reach too far tend to fall. (I've woken up to a few "thunks" in the middle of the night!)
6. Temp and humidity look great; it's really just a matter of researching a specific species. But kings are great since they, in general, tolerate a wide variation.
7. Feeding is good. DEFINATELY go with defrosted mice! Kings tend to be ravenous feeders, so don't overfeed! They can and do become obese. Since my Desert King has become an adult, I feed her 2-3 mice every 2-3 weeks.
8. Handling--I would add these 3 tips: a) Never handle your snake after you've handled their food without washing well first; you're asking to be bitten. b) Give the snake 3-4 days after feeding before you handle it to allow for digestion, or it may regurgitate its meal--kings are known for this! c) Always wash your hands well before and after handling to keep both you and your snake healthy.

Again, awesome care sheet! I totally applaude you hard work! Hope this post helps and doesn't offend...not at all my intent!