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The royal serpent is a representative of the family of the Windy, does not have poison. It is found in North and Central America and Mexico. To date, there are only 14 species of royal serpent on the entire planet.
A distinctive feature of this species is the bright colors of scales. It attracts fans of reptiles. Some snake like a pet.
Interesting! The royal snake is also called the sparkling shield for its specific scales on the back.
Appearance Description
Smooth scales of bright color. As a rule, the drawing consists of alternating multi-colored rings. The most common set of colors: red, white and black.The length of the snake can vary from 50 to 200 cm.
The color of scales may be different in the subspecies. Each individual has its own individual appearance. There is no sex difference in scales. The only way to distinguish a male from a female is: the male has a thicker and longer tail than the female.
The average life expectancy of 9 to 15 years.
Where can I find a snake
Demeanor
The main feature of the Royal species is that it can include in its diet other snakes, even poisonous ones. Biological studies have documented a case in which a royal serpent ate a rattlesnake, which is much more dangerous. The body of this type produces immunity to poisons and toxins. Thanks to this fact, she got her name.
The snake does not tolerate extreme heat. Because of this, she can rarely go out to hunt.In hot weather, it may show signs of life only at night, early in the morning and at dusk. In the usual conditions, she leads a daytime lifestyle.
Nutrition
The royal snake likes to eat small rodents (mice, dzungarikami, etc.) and small lizards. They are also able to eat other snakes that are poisonous. The body of this type produces immunity to poisons. Adult reptiles can engage in cannibalism.
Subspecies and their features
At the moment, there are 14 species of the Royal Serpent in the world, but only 7 of them have been fully studied.
The most common subspecies include:
- Mountain royal. Individuals do not exceed 1.5 m in length. Triangular head of black, gray or steel shade. The body is very massive. The coloring represents alternation of grayish and bright orange rings.
- Beautiful royal. The average length is a meter. The head is elongated, slightly flattened on the sides. Big eyes, slim, massive body. The body is brown with red or brownish rectangles.
- Mexican royal. The average length of an individual can reach up to two meters. Head extended, flattened on the sides. The body is gray or brown, decorated with rectangular red or black and white spots.
- Arizona royal. It is one of the smallest subspecies. As a rule, individuals do not exceed a meter in length. The black head is rounded. The colors of the body are represented by a set of rings of red, black and yellow (sometimes white) colors.
Currently under study other subspecies. Information and facts about varieties are constantly updated.
Enemies in the wild
In most cases, large birds of prey hunt the Royal Snake: the eagle, the stork, the heron, and others. Among the mammals, the most snake-eating animals are the jaguar, the leopard, the boar, the mongoose. Snake is also included in the diet of crocodiles.
Snake as a pet
In the modern world, it is increasingly possible to meet the situation when people bring up domestic snakes. Many are attracted to the bright color of the Royal. However, before purchasing a person is obliged to buy some equipment so that the content of the reptile was as comfortable as possible.
For home conditions, individuals of medium size are better suited.Each animal must be in an individual terrarium, as the Royal Snake has a predisposition to eating its own kindred.
Terrarium and additions to it
The minimum size for an average individual is 80x55x55 cm. For small representatives, 60x30x30 cm will suffice. An artificial mat creeps to the bottom or coconut chips fall asleep. Snake paper will not work. In one of the corners you need to place a small pool so that the Royal can wash in it. A thermometer and a hydrometer are mounted on the walls of the terrarium. It is necessary to constantly monitor the microclimate. The best daytime air temperature is 25-30 ° C, night temperature - 20-25 ° C. Humidity should be in the range of 50-60%. Periodically you need to spray the terrarium, but do not overdo it.
Reptiles need good, dim lighting. Daylight lamps are best suited. Incandescent bulbs can serve as a source of heat, although this function is better suited for thermal foam, which is installed in the corner of the terrarium. Every day for 30 minutes you need to turn on the UV lamps. This procedure supports the health of the snake.
Nutrition
Young and young individuals need to be fed once a week. At this age, they prefer newborn mice. Malnutrition should not be allowed, otherwise there will be violations in the process of growth and development of the body. An adult individual feeds a maximum of 3 times per month. Her diet includes gerbil mice, jungars and other medium-sized rodents. After eating, you can not touch the snake for 3 days, otherwise it may burp the food. Also, you can not disturb the creepy while eating. Instincts wake up, and the snake attacks the person. Juveniles may be aggressive in the first days, but then contact with the owner is improved.
Water should be in open access. It is recommended to add in it vitamin preparations for reptiles, which will help the snake to develop well.
In addition to the usual meal, the King Snake needs nutrients that are not in food. You can give her crushed egg shells and the drug with calcium. You can add mineral water to water, but not often. Once a month in the feed you need to add vitamins and minerals. The dosage must be observed according to the instructions. It is necessary to consult a specialist.
Safety
The royal snake has a weakly acting poison. He can only paralyze the bitten. However, the reptile does not pose a particular danger to humans. Even in adults, the canines are so short that they, in most cases, do not injure a person. After being tamed, the King Snake becomes a devoted and affectionate pet. It is only necessary to have patience to make friends with the animal. To taming should be set aside 15-20 minutes every day.
Age
If you comply with all the conditions of the royal serpent, then its life expectancy will be 10 years. However, there are often cases when a single individual lived to be 15 years old.
Home breeding
At home, the royal snake breeds well. Reptiles become capable of producing offspring at the age of 3 years. In winter, you should slightly reduce the temperature of the air. In the spring you can reduce the male and female. 2 weeks before crossing it is necessary to give individuals preparations with vitamin E. 7 days before wintering, you need to interrupt the power of the snake and turn off the heating devices. The temperature of the air in the terrarium gradually decreases to 12-15 ° C.A month later, the temperature returns to normal, and the feeding of the individual is restored.
The female lays from 2 eggs to a dozen. Incubation lasts about two months. The temperature required during this period is 28-29 oC. When the age of the hatched individuals reaches 7 days, they begin to be fed 2 times a week. For young snakes need a separate terrarium. Adults need individual housing, as the royal species has a tendency to cannibalism.
Snake Buying Tips
Immediately after purchasing a reptile, it must be placed in a quarantine terrarium for some time. It is necessary to find out the state of health of the snake. The best solution is to allocate a separate room for the Royal Snake, where there will be no other pets, as they can be infected by airborne droplets.
The individual should be carefully examined for parasites and damage. During the quarantine period, it is necessary to observe the chair and the power mode of the snake. If a person has no experience in keeping a reptile, it is best to check the state of health of the pet at the veterinary clinic immediately after purchase.It is recommended to purchase the Royal Snake in professional stores, nurseries or from a specialist who has proven himself to be a good breeding reptile.
When buying, you need to know if the individual has a normal mass and does not suffer from anorexia. Staphylococcus can hit the oral cavity, so when you examine, you need to pay attention to it. It is necessary to check the reptile for ticks that provoke skin diseases. The buyer must find out from the seller when the snake shed its skin last time and how it went.
Recently, such a procedure as implanting a microchip into a pet's body is gaining popularity. Thus, the owners track the location of the snake and better control its behavior. This operation is carried out in veterinary clinics and is painless for the animal.
Video: royal snake (Lampropeltis)
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