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Mexican Black Kingsnake
Snake
Beginner
Lampropeltis nigrita
Lifespan
20-30 years
Adult size
90-150 cm
Temperament
Bold and active; may musk or bite when young
Temperature
20–30°C
Humidity
40–60%
Vivarium
120 x 60 x 60 cm (adult)
Wikipedia →
Native to Sonora and Sinaloa in north-western Mexico and a small part of south-eastern Arizona, in rocky and scrubby parts of the Sonoran Desert. Adults are a glossy, deep chocolate-black with a blue sheen and no pattern, although juveniles can show faint pale speckles. Keepers like its striking all-black look, hardiness and big appetite. Like all kingsnakes it eats other snakes, so it must be kept alone.
Care information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
🔥 Heating
Heat one end with halogen lamps on a dimming thermostat (or a heat mat on a thermostat), giving a basking surface of 29-32 °C and a cool end of 21-26 °C. Heating can go off at night if the room stays above about 20 °C.
💡 Lighting
About 12 hours of light a day. UVB is recommended but not essential: a 5-6% T5 tube over about half the vivarium giving a UVI of 2-3 at the basking spot.
🪨 Substrate
A soil-based mix, aspen, cypress mulch or coconut coir, about 10 cm deep for burrowing. Avoid cedar and other aromatic woods.
🍽 Feeding
Frozen-thawed rodents no wider than 1.5 times the snake's widest point (about 10% of its weight). Hatchlings every 5-7 days, juveniles every 7-10 days and adults every 10-14 days. A very greedy feeder, so use tongs and watch for obesity.
💧 Water
A sturdy bowl big enough to soak in, always available and scrubbed weekly. Keep the vivarium fairly dry, with a humid hide for sheds.
🏠 Enrichment
At least two snug hides, cork bark, branches, ledges and plants, plus deep substrate for burrowing.
🩺 Health Considerations
Very hardy. Watch for obesity, stuck sheds, mites and respiratory infections in damp or cold conditions. Cannibalistic, so never house two together.
🤲 Handling
Young snakes may musk, rattle their tails or bite, but most become calm with regular, gentle handling. Handle hand over hand, keep hands away from its face and wait until a meal has digested. Non-venomous.
⚖️ Legal Restrictions
No Dangerous Wild Animals licence needed anywhere in the UK and not CITES-listed. It is not on the Great Britain invasive species list, but Northern Ireland follows the EU list, where Lampropeltis getula (including its former subspecies nigrita) is listed: breeding, sale and import are banned there, though existing pets can generally be kept for life, so check with DAERA.
📋 Additional Notes
Long sold as Lampropeltis getula nigrita (sometimes L. californiae nigrita); Reptile Database now treats it as a full species. Males have longer, thicker tails; probe to confirm sex. Patterned animals from Arizona may be hybrids, so buy from breeders who know their lines.