Baby California kingsnakes eat pinky mice, about one every 5 to 7 days. In the wild, hatchlings eat small lizards, frogs, snake and bird eggs, and sometimes smaller snakes.
What to Feed a Baby California Kingsnake
- Pinky mice (newborn mice) are the standard first food for hatchlings.
- Fuzzy mice once the baby is eating pinkies easily and growing.
- Frozen-thawed prey is safer than live. Live rodents can bite and injure a small snake.
Choose prey roughly as wide as the thickest part of the snake’s body. Don’t feed anything bigger.
How to Feed
- Thaw frozen pinkies in the refrigerator, then warm them in a bag of warm (not hot) water until they feel warm to the touch.
- Dry the mouse and offer it with long tongs, wiggling it slightly to trigger the snake’s feeding response.
- Leave the snake alone in a quiet spot to eat. Don’t handle it for 48 hours after a meal, which helps prevent regurgitation.
- Remove any uneaten food after a few hours.
Feeding Schedule
- Hatchlings and babies: one pinky every 5 to 7 days
- Juveniles: one fuzzy or hopper every 7 days
- Adults: one adult mouse every 7 to 14 days
Overfeeding leads to an overweight snake, which strains the organs.
Setup That Helps With Feeding
- Temperature gradient of roughly 75 to 85 F, with a warm spot near 85 to 88 F
- Humidity around 40 to 60 percent, a little higher during shedding
- A snug hide on both the warm and cool side, and a water bowl
- Keep each kingsnake in its own enclosure. Kingsnakes eat other snakes, including their siblings.
If Your Baby Won’t Eat
Hatchlings often skip meals before or during a shed. Check temperatures and humidity, offer food in the evening, and try a different color or size of pinky. If your snake refuses food for several weeks, loses weight, or has mites or breathing trouble, call an exotic-pet vet. Kingsnakes are not typically fed fruit, vegetables or fish.
Bottom Line
Feed a baby California kingsnake one appropriately sized frozen-thawed pinky mouse every 5 to 7 days, keep the enclosure warm and slightly humid, and house it alone.
Related reading: what blue racer snakes eat, what to feed grass snakes and what snakes eat in the Amazon rainforest.
