Eating Habits of the California King Snake

California king snakes are constrictors characterized by a black and white striped body. Their attractive coloring and easy care make them the most commonly kept king snake in the pet trade. Although they are called the California king snake, their territory includes Arizona as well. In their natural environment, these snakes help to keep the rodent population under control.

  1. Natural Prey

    • In the wild, California king snakes kill their prey by coiling around it and suffocating it to death. After their prey is dead they swallow it whole. Their natural diet consists of rodents, lizards, frogs and even other snakes. California king snakes have a digestive enzyme that allows them to eat venomous snake species including rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins and even coral snakes. This capability makes them a very desirable snake to have around your home. Snakes are opportunistic eaters and will only eat when hungry.

    Food in Captivity

    • California king snakes that are kept as pets are typically easy to feed. When they are small, they should be fed a prekilled pinky mouse every few days. Full-size snakes should be fed a prekilled adult mouse one to two times per week. The reason you feed prekilled mice is so that the mice do not have the opportunity to bite your snake, possibly causing permanent scaring or infection.

    Water

    • Snakes obtain the majority of the liquids they require from the food they eat. However, they do need to drink some water in addition to this. When you keep one in captivity, provide a dish half-full of water for the snake to soak in and drink. Do not fill the dish to the top, as the water will overflow when your snake enters the water. This will cause the humidity of the cage to rise to undesirable levels and encourage the growth of bacteria and mold that can cause respiratory illness in the snake.

    Temperature

    • Snakes are ectothermic, meaning they need an external source of heat to regulate their body temperature. Temperatures between 85 and 95 degrees are optimal for California king snakes to properly digest their food. When you keep them in captivity it is ideal to place a heat source at one end of the cage to maintain 90 to 95 degrees while allowing the temperature to remain 80 to 85 degrees on the other end of the cage. This allows the snake to choose its preferred temperature.