Lampropeltis leonis - The Leonis Kingsnake
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Introduction
This is a brief explanation of how I personally keep leonis kings. It should not be the only resource you rely on when researching them! It’s just an overview of the basic husbandry requirements that I employ. Well-started leonis kingsnakes make excellent beginner snakes due to their small size and ease of care. Hatchlings can be a bit finicky about eating, but once they get started they gain excellent appetites. Adults usually reach 2-3 feet long. They typically have good temperaments, but have strong food-responses and can bite if you smell like rodents or lizards. They're fairly secretive snakes during the day time, but are more active during early morning and evening.
What's with all the names?
Leonis kingsnakes (Lampropeltis leonis) have a bit of a contentious and confusing taxonomic history. Because of this, they are also known as Thayeri Kingsnakes, Variable Kingsnakes, or Nuevo Leon Kingsnakes. In the recent past, they have been referred to as Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri, however Lampropeltis leonis (1893) was the first name given to them along with a valid description and thus is the appropriate and accurate name. The name "leonis" was not widely used for years and they are still referred to as "thayeri" kingsnakes by many hobbyists and publications. They're all the same snake!
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An adult male blue leonis phase kingsnake.
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Leonis Kingsnake Distribution and Natural Habitat
Leonis kings are native to the plateaus of the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. While much of the habitat is semi-arid, they are also found in more temperate and humid areas. Due to this variability in habitat, they are very hardy and adaptable to different captive husbandry styles. Leonis kingsnakes have three primary color phases that are naturally occurring. The Leonis Phase is characterized by black bordered bands or saddles with red or orange interiors along the snake's back. The base color is extremely variable. The Milksnake Phase mimics the look of a typical milksnake- red, black, and yellow bands along the body of the snake. The Melanistic Phase (an all black snake) is a simple recessive color phase that occurs in the wild. There is also the Intermediate Phase, which is a snake with patterning in-between the Leonis and Milksnake phases. In the wild they feed primarily on lizards and rodents, with a preference for lizards.
Captive Husbandry
A juvenile female melanistic phase leonis kingsnake.
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The Basics:
Temperature: 72-95F
Cage Size (for adult snakes): 3'x2'x1' or similar sized aquarium Humidity: 10-40% Diet: Primarily mice |
Husbandry Details
Temperature and Heating
It’s ideal to create a temperature gradient to allow the snake to choose the temperature it needs at a given moment. I recommend the cool end of the cage to be in the 72-76F range and the warm end to be in the 88-95F range (surface temperature). You will most likely need to provide heating for your leonis kingsnake.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL heating elements should be controlled with a proper thermostat or dimmer.
UTH (under tank heaters) provide belly heat, UTH work well with nearly all cage types. UTH are usually either heat pads (designed for use with reptiles) or heat tape (which is not designed for use with reptiles but is widely used in herpetoculture).
If you want to use an overhead heating element, I recommend using an RHP (radiant heat emitter) or a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) over heat bulbs. RHPs and CHEs do not emit light so they can be kept on during the night - most reptiles have fairly complex color vision and can see the red light emitted by “night time” heat lamps. The surface temperature of the warm side of the cage should reach at least 88-90F. The ambient air temperature should be slightly lower. I use belly heat for my leonis kings dialed in to 93F.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALL heating elements should be controlled with a proper thermostat or dimmer.
UTH (under tank heaters) provide belly heat, UTH work well with nearly all cage types. UTH are usually either heat pads (designed for use with reptiles) or heat tape (which is not designed for use with reptiles but is widely used in herpetoculture).
If you want to use an overhead heating element, I recommend using an RHP (radiant heat emitter) or a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) over heat bulbs. RHPs and CHEs do not emit light so they can be kept on during the night - most reptiles have fairly complex color vision and can see the red light emitted by “night time” heat lamps. The surface temperature of the warm side of the cage should reach at least 88-90F. The ambient air temperature should be slightly lower. I use belly heat for my leonis kings dialed in to 93F.
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Cage Size
Hatchlings are generally started in small tubs or deli cups. Leonis kingsnakes can be very difficult to get feeding on rodents and using a small enclosure can encourage them to feed more readily. A 6qt tub will work well for a hatchling as long as the lid is very secure. They will wiggle out of any gap between the tub and lid so it's very important it's fitted tightly. Once they are eating consistently you can move them to a larger enclosure. A 20g long aquarium works well for a juvenile setup, but you could move them into their adult cage at this point as long as it is properly setup and you're confident in their feeding. Adults do best in tubs, cages, or aquariums measuring around 3' long, 2' wide, and 1' tall. You can keep them in larger sized setups (especially taller setups) but this is what I would consider a good minimum. My adults don't climb all that often even when provided with taller cages so I don't think the height of the cage is as important as the length and width.
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An adult female buckskin leonis phase kingsnake.
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Humidity
In the vast majority of cases, you will not need to worry about the humidity in your king's cage. If you're comfortable with the ambient humidity in your house they probably are as well. That being said, shoot for the humidity to stay in the 10-40% range.
A juvenile female milksnake phase leonis kingsnake.
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Substrate
I recommend new arrivals be kept on paper towel for the beginning of the quarantine period for two weeks or so to ensure they settle in well and to make tracking health easier.
When you switch to loose substrate, it should be kept at a depth of 1-3” to allow burrowing. Aspen is a cheap, convenient, and easy to clean substrate that works well for hatchlings all the way up to adults. Naturalistic substrate mixes can be very enriching for leonis kingsnakes. I keep my adult leonis kings on a mix of topsoil, sand, and clay and it works very well for them. If you don't want to mix your own substrate there are several companies offering pre-made mixes that will work well for leonis kings. I do not recommend you keep leonis kingsnakes on sand or coco fiber when used as stand alone substrates. Cage Decor
The cage should be furnished with several hides, at least one in the warm side, cool side, and intermediate areas of the cage. Rocks and branches for climbing should be provided. The cage decor can be as simplistic or naturalistic as you like! As long as the snake has the ability to display its natural behavior, it doesn’t really matter what the cage aesthetic is like. A medium sized water bowl should be provided at all times. You can also provide them with a "humid hide" if they have issues shedding.
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Feeding and Diet
Baby leonis kingsnakes usually will take f/t unscented pinkies without hesitation, but some are stubborn and will need to have a first meal of a lizard or lizard-scented pinky. Once they're feeding on unscented rodents they are typically very eager and reliable feeders. Adult leonis kingsnakes will feed on adult mice.