I decided to house a pair of San Diego county, CA locality striped California kings together last year. I brumated them, brought them up and watched them during feeding with no problems. The pair then bred and the female is currently very heavy with eggs.

Shortly after the pair bred, I was feeding the collection and just happened to open the tub with the Cal King pair. The female was in the act of constricting the male. I separated the two and decided to house the male in a separate tub.

Based on what I found, I am fairly confident that the female would have made a meal out of the male. If she is carrying eggs, the need for food to nourish the developing eggs is most likely instinctual at this time. Most likely the drive to feed to nourish the developing eggs is probably more so at this time than any other(just a theory).

Based on this observation, I will definitely NOT be housing any of my kings together. I don't want to take the chance again as I feel I was at the right place at the right time to avert a tragedy.

Just thought I would share my observations as they are definitely relevant to this thread............

Brad Bauserman

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