Lampropeltis getula
Common kingsnake
A secure terrestrial enclosure. This species is on the EU invasive list.
Legal status
- EU invasive · rehoming blocked
Lampropeltis getula is of Union concern. EASIN factsheet R20061 records Union concern: yes, citing Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1203. Repticentra blocks rehoming so the animal is not offered to keepers in the EU. Not found in the CITES Appendices file in force from 5 March 2026. No EU wildlife-trade annex is recorded because it was not verified. Not venomous. Whether every subspecies is covered is not restated here — check the current Union list. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 24–30°C
- Basking
- 29–31°C
- UVB
- Ferguson zone 1. About 0.1–0.7
- Humidity
- 40–60%
- Minimum enclosure
- About 120 × 45 × 45 cm for one adult
- Adult size
- Often 90–150 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 15–20 years.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Diet and feeding
Rodents, in its own cage. Kingsnakes eat other snakes. Juveniles every 5–7 days. Adults every 7–14 days.
Substrate
Aspen or paper.
Health
Mites and obesity. Keeping and moving it inside the EU is restricted.
Handling
Support the body.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.