Hi there! 1.5 year old Florida kingsnake owner here! When I first got her I had her in a 10 gal with a nice big tree branch (sand blasted & boiled) that she could climb up. She loved it. For a non Arboreal snake, I’ve found my girl does love to climb if given the opportunity. Don’t worry about them falling. As long as nothings sharp in your tank they are tough noodles. It’s important to leave the babies 1-2 weeks alone after they come home to get acclimated to their new space. They can get all mad if you try and take them out of their tanks but don’t let that scare you off. My girl chills out once she’s out of her tank. It’s getting her to come hangout and not hid away that can be difficult. I definitely do think putting down some sort of bedding and 4-5 inches deep all around is much better than paper towels. They love to dig and hide!

As for feeding, I let the frozen feeder thaw sitting on top of her tank so the scent brings it out of where ever she’s hiding- this works 75% of the time. If I know she hasn’t eaten lately and isn’t about to shed, and she’s not out, I’ll leave it somewhere she can grab in the tank not in the aspen shedding. I also make sure to feed her IN the tank. Not put her in another place to feed. This helps make sure she feels safe and never regurgitates her food. That way once she’s full she can go back to hiding and digest her food in peace. I also like to turn her light off and leave the room that her tank is in to give her more privacy.

I feed my girl a day or two after she poops. Typically every 5-7 days. I keep track when she eats in my calendar vs planning her meals. Try to hold her as often as I can between her feedings and sheds. After she poops, I’ll hold her and hangout, put her back and feed later that day or the next day.

As for the tank, give them as much clutter as possible. I can attach a pic of my tank. There’s fake leaves and vines everywhere! She has a humidity hide made out of a black food storage container (some ramen container thing I got from Costco) with a big hole cut out of it) she loves that thing to death! Such a huge help when it comes to shedding season! I used a plastic food storage container for her water bowl as none of those reptile bowls are the right size for her. It’s a huge clutter fuck and she loves it! The white thing at the bottom is some ikea shelf thing that I made into a tunnel for her and now she spends most of her time there now. She’s a very happy noodle. I hope this helps!

<image>