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Notice any difference in feeding behaviour or nervousness? Thanks,
Bob.

Thanks for asking.

Short version

He's been in shed, so I'm not entirely sure whether changes in his behavior are related to the cage or whether he's just being different because he's shedding. He finished his shed last night, and he's back under his favorite blue dish tonight. In that sense, his behavior hasn't changed at all. However, during the past two weeks while he's been in shed, he's spent a great deal of time in the Eco Earth.

Long Version

On Tuesday, 2/7, he had taken a 30 gram f/t mouse which is his normal meal.

I had changed his cage on Saturday, 2/11. (I didn't post pictures until the following weekend because my computer died and spent a week getting a new motherboard.)

On 2/14, he was preparing to shed, and his eyes were so cloudy that they were nearly white. I think he was hiding under his favorite water dish at that time.

Through most of last week, he remained buried in the Eco Earth. He mostly stayed at the back of the cage just under a very small half-log hide. This hide wouldn't have done much for him by itself, and I mostly put it there to help support the "hill" of substrate. I could see him by looking under the hide from the side of the aquarium. Mostly, he was hidden in substrate, and I didn't want to disturb anything in a way that would alter his behavior.

On the next feeding day, 2/21, I left a f/t pinkie rat in his blue bowl. I dangled it outside that hide for a few minutes just to see whether he was interested. Generally, he doesn't like to be bothered while in shed. I left the rat in the bowl overnight, and he never ate it.

Within the next day or so, he moved up in the hill until he was just under the water dish. Apparently he prepared for this move, because I saw a little place under the edge of the water dish where he had been excavating. I later saw a little of his body in this position.

Last night, I decided to pull him out to see how he was doing. I wanted to soak him and handle him a little. I also wanted to see whether he had shed. He didn't appear to have shed, but I wasn't entirely sure. His color was a little off, but I thought that the color change might be staining from the new substrate. I soaked him for about 30 minutes in slightly warm water. I rubbed Vita-Spray along his entire skin.

I held him for about 45 minutes. He took a little longer to relax than usual, but he eventually spread himself into a comfortable position with the back end of his body over my shoulder and his head resting on my wrist which was in my lap. He sat there seemingly asleep until he defecated all over my back. The fact that I'm glad he didn't mess up his new cage probably says something about me. I don't want to think what it might be.

I put him in a "kritter keeper" while I changed shirts and cleaned the mess. I then weighed him.

When I put him in his cage, I started misting the cage. He became agitated, so I quit. I suddenly noticed that he'd shed about three inches from his head. I started to take pictures, but he hid. I left him alone to shed. When I returned in half an hour or so, I found the head of his old skin outside a hide. I was able to pull about 10 inches of skin out from under the substrate. I can see part of the rest through the PVC viewing port in the far lower corner of the cage. He had a great shed.

For a while, he was at the bottom of the log hide.

Tonight, he's back under his favorite blue dish.

I'll likely wait until Sunday night to feed him again, but I may feed earlier. It's been two and a half weeks since he's eaten.

Weights

January 30 (after defecation) - 350 grams

February 11 (roughly) - 380 grams

February 22 (after defecation) - 375 grams

Thoughts so far

I'm amused that even with the new "classic" kingsnake habitat that I've given him, he's back under that blue dish where he's been ever since he lived in the pet store and I insisted to the manager that he needed a bigger water dish. On the other hand, the dish is consistent with what many people describe as a good kingsnake hide. The dish has very little vertical room. It's not exactly flat, but it's not the domed cave structure that many companies build for snake hiding places. He has quick access to the deeper substrate from this position.

I really like the humidity control that the deep substrate gives. While the air humidity in the cage may still fluctuate a bit, he had access to good humidity when he was buried in the substrate.

I'll be interested in seeing how he does over the next few weeks now that he's shed and when feeding time comes. One my concerns is still that he won't know that food is available if he's buried in the substrate.

Again, thanks for asking,

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

nm

>>I really like the humidity control that the deep substrate gives. While the air humidity in the cage may still fluctuate a bit, he had access to good humidity when he was buried in the substrate.
>>

Yes, exactly. Perfect sheds and nice supple skin is the result.

>>I'll be interested in seeing how he does over the next few weeks now that he's shed and when feeding time comes. One my concerns is still that he won't know that food is available if he's buried in the substrate.
>>

Don't worry about that. Cal kings are extremely adept at finding food in their cages, even when buried. Dusk or evening seems to be a more active time for them, meaning they will move around alot and pick up on any scent.