Diet
Being that Cal Kings are found in so many different habitats and their is such a diverse array of prey items in each habitat gives Cal Kings a complex diet
Cal Kings are opportunistic feeders, feeding on just about anything they can overpower and swallow. They are ophiophagus (eat other snakes) and are very tolerant to the venom of Pit Vipers. They are strong constrictors and not many snakes are a match for their power. Calkings have been known to eat snakes nearly as long as themselves and also prey items with twice the girth.
© Jeff Nordland
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© Brian Hinds
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© John Roberts
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© Chad Lane
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© Chad Lane
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© Chad Lane
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Cal kings seem to have favorite meals by whatever habitat they are found. Cal kings that are found in the valley in seem to prefer rodents while kings in rockier more riparian habitat seem to prefer lizards. And some are even more picky then that. Some kings from the valley of Northern California absolutely refuse to eat California Voles they even flail there body and whip there tail like they are extremely scared of them, while other will readily take them from day one. I have also tried fresh killed voles overnight in there enclosure and they will not touch it, but if I put a couple of fuzzy or pinkie Voles in the cage they will be gone in the morning. Brown Rats also make them go crazy even worse then the Voles doing everything trying to escape the enclosure. I have not tried pinkie or fuzzy Wild Rats. A pair of Calkings that were given to me years ago from Mt Hamilton would eat nothing but sceloporus. I will touch more on this in the captive care section. ojufghg
California Kingsnake eating a small Gophersnake
© Dave Weber
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The stomach and skin stretch to accommodate large food items. The snake is very Vulnerable at this time, so it must find a safe secure warm place to digest its meal.
Hibernation
During the
winter months, Calkings will find a good place that is protected from the
cold winter temps. Normally they find this shelter underground. Here they will
spend the next few months in a sleep like dormant state. The snake’s metabolism
slows down to not burn excess energy. Hibernation also plays another very
important role; it is here in this dormant state where reproduction begins.
Females start to ovulate during this time and also produce a perfume like
substances called pheromones, these pheromones help the males locate the females.
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Reproduction
Hibernation normally begins in mid October and ends in late February to early March. Once the weather starts to warm they will start to emerge, normally finding surface cover to hide under or any good warm spot to thermoregulate. From what I have found males and young snakes are the first to come up, followed by females anywhere from a week to two weeks thereafter. The females will also look for a spot to thermoregulate
Within a week the females will normally go into a shed cycle. When the female sheds her skin she also releases a pheromone that attracts the males. Once the male has found a female he will flick his tongue along her body essentially tasting her skin, the male will then start moving his body along hers in a jerking motion. If the female is ready she will lift her tail and allow him access to her cloaca. The male has two copulatory organs called hemepens; they are stored inverted in his tail. Copulation lasts from 5 to 30 minutes and can occur multiple times.
The female will go into shed within three to four weeks of copulation, this is the pre-lay shed. She will lay a clutch of 4 - 20 eggs within a few days of completing this shed. The eggs are laid normally under ground in a moist humid spot like a rodent burrow. Once the mother has laid her eggs she is off in search of food, leaving her eggs at the mercy of her instinctual decision. The mother has completed her responsibility and plays no other role in the safety of the eggs or the baby snakes.
Normally the eggs will start to hatch in about 55 to 65 days depending on the temperature. “The best incubating temperature that I have found is 82 degrees, eggs will hatch right around 60 days at that temp”. The babies cut through the leathery egg shell with their egg tooth. Once they slice through the leathery shell the baby will stick just its snout out of the egg and take its first breath. This is called pipping. The baby will not leave the egg at this time it will sit with just its head out of the hole, while its body absorbs the last of the yolk. Once the yolk is fully absorbed the baby will crawl out of the egg and is off to carry on its life cycle
Reproduction
Hibernation normally begins in mid October and ends in late February to early March. Once the weather starts to warm they will start to emerge, normally finding surface cover to hide under or any good warm spot to thermoregulate. From what I have found males and young snakes are the first to come up, followed by females anywhere from a week to two weeks thereafter. The females will also look for a spot to thermoregulate
Within a week the females will normally go into a shed cycle. When the female sheds her skin she also releases a pheromone that attracts the males. Once the male has found a female he will flick his tongue along her body essentially tasting her skin, the male will then start moving his body along hers in a jerking motion. If the female is ready she will lift her tail and allow him access to her cloaca. The male has two copulatory organs called hemepens; they are stored inverted in his tail. Copulation lasts from 5 to 30 minutes and can occur multiple times.
The female will go into shed within three to four weeks of copulation, this is the pre-lay shed. She will lay a clutch of 4 - 20 eggs within a few days of completing this shed. The eggs are laid normally under ground in a moist humid spot like a rodent burrow. Once the mother has laid her eggs she is off in search of food, leaving her eggs at the mercy of her instinctual decision. The mother has completed her responsibility and plays no other role in the safety of the eggs or the baby snakes.
Normally the eggs will start to hatch in about 55 to 65 days depending on the temperature. “The best incubating temperature that I have found is 82 degrees, eggs will hatch right around 60 days at that temp”. The babies cut through the leathery egg shell with their egg tooth. Once they slice through the leathery shell the baby will stick just its snout out of the egg and take its first breath. This is called pipping. The baby will not leave the egg at this time it will sit with just its head out of the hole, while its body absorbs the last of the yolk. Once the yolk is fully absorbed the baby will crawl out of the egg and is off to carry on its life cycle
