Califor. King Snake

[adamanteus]

I understand your concern and appreciate your advice. That makes sense. Sometimes I lead with my heart. I have given it thought. I give myself the option to not take an animal I don't think I can for. I also know there will be situations where the snake needs rescuing whether I know what it is or not. I hope there are some of those. I've read some of the post describing the horrible conditions some of these snakes have to live in. For them I will do what I can.

Steve, I can't argue with that! It's a wonderful thing to undertake.... If there is any help I can offer, I will happily do so. Best of luck with it..... Just be prepared for some failure and some disappointment.

[Loren]

James, you are correct- lots of diversity in colubrids. I think off the top of our heads, myself, and maybe Wayne included, think of kings, corns, milks, gophers/bulls... when saying "standard colubrid". And there are minor variances in some of their care too, but they are fairly standard in care.

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks James,
Giving them chance at some type of decent life even if it's a short one is my objective. My inconvience is nothing compared to some of these situations. I also know a few Vet.(Herps) who would be willing to help me with any medical issues.

[Zephyr]

...
If it IS just a Cali king... I don't think he'd have any problem with it. :P
I personally have no experience keeping them but... From the ones I see at the reptile show (big, fat things they are! XD) you can drop a mouse in with them and it'll be gone.
I don't think he's biting off more than he can chew. (Pardon the pun. :P )
Now if some one offers him their 12 foot reticulated python... Maybe then he MAY need some help. XD

[infernalis]

All I meant by "standard colubrid" care was.

Keep them caged and feed them.

[Zephyr]

Perhaps we should specify... North American colubrid care. :P

[adamanteus]

Perhaps we should specify... North American colubrid care. :P

Or perhaps to be more accurate... 'North American, Terrestrial, Constricting Colubrids in the Genera Pantherophis, Lampropeltis and Pituophis, exclusive of all other non-conforming North American Colubrid Genera'.

[Loren]

Or,"keep it sorta like a bull snake, but without any cagemates cause it'll eat 'em"

[Stefan-A]

Or,"keep it sorta like a bull snake, but without any cagemates cause it'll eat 'em"

Why not just keep it like a California kingsnake?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Standard colubrid care is just a term used to describe the most commonly kept colubrids and how they basically all need the same basic things. When someone says standard colubrid care to me, I equate that in my head as an appropriately sized cage with aspen as substrate, a hidebox or two, a mid sized water bowl just large enough for the snake to curl up in, and a decent sized rodent once per week. Anything else, like pants and deco is jsut icing on the cake, and not needed. No tropical temperatures and humidifiers constantly running, no need for heavily planted terraria, not a specialized diet or a fast metabolism. Many, many colubrids fall into this category and that is why people say it. I hear it all the time at shows, and I myself use the term, while I still acknowledge the fact that not all colubrids fit into this term.