SpeciesMexican kingsnake
Mexican kingsnake
Lampropeltis mexicana
A secretive kingsnake from the Mexican highlands. It needs structure and cooler nights than its better-known relatives.
- Group
- Snake
- Level
- Intermediate
- Origin
- Northern Mexico
Where the species comes from
- World region
- Northern Mexico
- Countries
- Highlands of Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas
- Habitat
- Rocky arid mountains, semi-deserts and scrubland at moderate altitudes
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A structured, escape-proof enclosure. The Animal Welfare Ordinance sets no minimum size for kingsnakes. The reference is the German 1997 expert report on reptile keeping: at least 1 × 0.5 × 0.5 body lengths, i.e. 100 × 50 × 50 cm for a total length of 100 cm.
- Temperature
- Basking spot 28–31 °C, cool zone 20–24 °C.
- Humidity
- Around 40–60 %, with a humid box in one spot.
- Lighting
- A bright day–night cycle; UVB is advisable.
- Substrate
- A diggable, fairly dry soil and bark mix.
- Furnishings
- Secure rock-like structures, cork and hides.
- Water
- Fresh water in a stable bowl.
- Feeding
- Thawed rodents of a suitable size.
- Behaviour
- Largely ground-dwelling and hide-oriented.
- Handling
- Calmly, briefly and with no scent of food on your hands.
- Cohabitation
- Keep singly.
- Health
- Check shedding, breathing and body weight.
- Seasonal cycle
- Two to three months of winter rest at 12–15 °C. The species lives in the highlands of northern Mexico, where winters are cool; a cooler season matches its rhythm. Do not feed for two to three weeks before cooling down.
- Safety
- It may eat other reptiles.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The genus is on the list of harmless venomous snakes in the federal veterinary office’s ordinance on keeping wild animals (SR 455.110.3) and is therefore exempt from the permit requirement under Art. 89 let. h of the Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
No CITES listing
Not listed in the CITES appendices: Import and transfer require no species-protection papers. Keep the proof of purchase nonetheless
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not list this species. Among snakes the table names only giant snakes (pythons and boas), elapids, vipers and pit vipers, and a few venomous or dangerous colubrids; for the rest no figure appears there.
The general rule in Annex 2 (letter K) then applies: the enclosure must be large enough for everything the species needs (hides, basking spot, climbing branches) to be arranged sensibly. As a yardstick, the ordinance points to expert opinions on a scientific basis. There is therefore no binding figure. The guide values in the calculator come from the 1997 expert report. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office.
What the enclosure must provide
Provide species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where needed, suitable substrate, retreats, climbing or digging options, water and natural rest periods.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
.JPG){kind=link}