hatching calif king snakes

Question
QUESTION: Tracie, I know you dont say you know about snakes but can you lead me to info on incubating and hatching calif king snakes I have a gravid female ready to lay. I checked and couldnt find anyone on your site who knows about snakes. Thanks for any help you can give.
Dena

ANSWER: Hello Dena,

Well, we have a ball python, but have never kept king snakes, at least yet anyway.
Cool, you have a female ready to lay.  What substrate do you have in the tank with them?
You can use potting soil mixed with sand, or orchid bark chips.  That will help hold moisture.  The eggs will need to be incubated at around 84 or so, with relatively high humidity of around 70-80% to keep the eggs from drying out.  You can mix perlite or vermiculite in with it instead of sand if you want to.

Do you have an incubator that you will be using?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have her in some sort of wood shavings the breeder I purchased her from used it so that's what I kept her in I think they are pine. Yes I am breeding leopard geckos but I bought a new incubator just for the king snakes. Thanks for your help. When the babies are hatched you are welcome to have one or two. The mother is a banana California king and the father is an albino California king. Should be some cool offspring I hope.

Dena

Answer
Hello Dena,
Ok, the pine is probably fine.  I have heard mixed opinions on that where some think they are toxic.  I know that cedar is toxic though.  The pine since it is sifted & cleaned should be fine, I think it is only where it is freshly cut.  
The offspring will be beautiful.  We don't have room right now for another snake, with 3 beardeds, but, that is so nice of you to offer.
Though, I would love to get your personal contact information so when I want to get one in the future, I will know who to contact.  I want to learn about colubrids, too.  I can't wait to see pictures of the hatchlings.  Will you send me some when they hatch out?
Good that you bought another incubator for your snake eggs, too.
My home email is:
Drache613@cfl.rr.com

Thanks.  Let me know how things go.

Tracie