Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just got my kingsnake at the hamburg reptile show. His tank is only a ten gallon tank and he is about two and a half feet long....could this be affecting his eating? i am looking for a new tank now but until i get one he is in a ten. Also he wont eat. the breeder said that he was eating frozen pinkies. he is very thick and i think that they are too small for him. i have tried to feed him by putting him in another tank and putting the pinkies with him but he just stares at them and then goes away......WHAT AM I DOING WRONG???? i am a first owner and am obviously over concerned with his health......please someone help with feedback.
thanks
ali

How are you heating the tank? What kind of substrare are you using? How many Hides? What is your exact setup? If you just bought it Saturday at the show, it may be too soon to eat. Some snakes stop eating in the winter time. How are you thawing your mice? Derek

How long has it been since he ate last? It may just be too soon.

The previous two replies have been very good, and I can't offer much more. However, I'll try to hit a few points.

His tank is only a ten gallon tank and he is about two and a half feet long....could this be affecting his eating?

I don't remember the dimensions of a ten gallon tank, so I can't be certain. My first thought is that if all other things are done properly, the small tank won't cause him to stop eating. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't hurry to find an appropriately-sized tank, but I don't think that the tank is the cause of his poor apetite.

the breeder said that he was eating frozen pinkies. he is very thick and i think that they are too small for him.

Pinkies may not be the ideal food item for your snake, but their being a bit small isn't the reason that he won't eat. There's nothing really wrong with occasionally feeding a snake something that is too small.

i have tried to feed him by putting him in another tank and putting the pinkies with him but he just stares at them and then goes away......WHAT AM I DOING WRONG????

So far, we don't know that you are doing anything wrong. If he's eaten recently, he may not be hungry. Another possibility is that you haven't warmed the pinkies to a high enough temperature or haven't warmed them long enough for the heat to reach all the way to the core of the pinkie. Another possibility is that he is getting ready to shed. My kingsnake won't eat when he's about to shed. Sometimes, you can induce a snake to take food by wiggling the food from a pair of tongs.

The folks on these boards are good. I'm also a fairly new owner, and I've learned a great deal reading posts here and watching my snake react to things. Your snake probably isn't in any danger at this point, but you need to answer some of the questions of the first two replies. I still feel some stress over ensuring the health of my snakes, but they are great pets. You should have many years or rewarding ownership.

All the best,

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

is a cali, offer it live food once a week and sooner or later it "should" come around, if not, get rid of it and try a florida or goini. I have at least one example of all getula subs in my collection and my cali are the worse problem children of the lot. No offence cali lovers!

mine are PIGS!!! Of course I only have four calis, and my majority are EASTERNS (cause they RULE).
But my calis are great feeders. It's my alternas that are a little on the conservative side. But since they are WC's, they are doing great by at least eating pinkies and fuzzies without scenting!!!
NOTHING LIKE A GREAT RAT WRECKER:

Zee

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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

Is he getting some action this year???

Zee
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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

Well, he's doing fine but he has'nt found the right girl yet,LOL!

Of my 15 cals about 10 are consistent eaters the others are on and off. Last wknd my absolute favorite cal flung musk in my face. None of my other subs display that kind of behavior. Ofcourse any getula sub can have issues but my cali give me the most trouble. Again, No Offence to cali lovers!

i know what you are saying.i get that treatment everyday. i have a few that are mellow fellows but i expect to get a flungpoo greeting with each one. i do get sick of it from time to time.but well you know.they are just so cool.later jason

hahaha

last person i would like to fight, i thought i already discused my cali views with you? And I would never pick on you for being a cali lover,(i think you know that)lol!

lets see some new pics of the patternless chocolate.can't get enough of that girl.maybe this weekend we can have a pic-a-thon.we could use all new pics get everyone involved. start off with the non getula and finish off with the biggins.maybe you could do some of the then and now pics. i love those! my then and now pics are...well the same pics lol.every one is pairing up and in the snake room more than ever now so it should be a hoot. thanks jason.

nice-what subspecies of zonata is that,and what the hell morph is at the bottom-looks like a jungle corn,no?

that is my milksnake phase thateri.it was a creamy white but now as she grows they are turning more white- white

that's the one you were askign about a few weeks ago-is that just what it is,a jungle corn?

it has not shed yet so i have not done a scale count. i took it to see Dr.John Rossi last week and he looked into its mouth. he thought that if it was mixed with Pituiphis then it could have a flap of skin or maybe a nub in the mouth that they use as a warning sound when they hiss. there was none-so i think i am going to call it a king corn until i find out otherwise.thanks
jason

I will fight with you, bring it on dude.

As many already know, I bred Calkings for a very long time. So I wonder why they would be a problem child for you. Maybe all snakes should not be kept exactly alike and your refusing to look at Calkings as slightly different then eastern kings.

If you ask me. Eastern kings are a pain in the bum. Oh yea, and there is reason for this. When I first kept kings I lived in the west, and easterns were work(problem child). Then I moved back east, and easterns were easy and Cals became work. Whats the deal?

When I lived in Cal. I lived on the coast and such snakes as glossys were a pain in the bum(lizard feeders). But once I was out snake hunting in the desert and met a fella who lived in the desert. He had wonderful glossys and they ate K-rats, large K rats. What the heck?

The point is, all these snakes may have preferences, if their natural enviornment is slightly different, then I wonder why all their cages should be exactly alike? Its kinda one of those common sense things.

My poor little old guess would be, its a bit to muggy in the east for us westerners, be it humans or snakes. On the otherhand, you poor easterners just shrivel up and die out here. But thats just a guess. hahahahahaha

Which brings up my favorite subject. You fellas have problems(in this case, a very tiny problem) but you do nothing to address it. Are you hoping the snakes will fix themselves?

IF you offer defined conditions(most of you do), no choices in temps or humidity or security, what do you expect? Do you not understand when a species does not perform well, it may not be the species/subspecies fault, but the keepers fault? You know my outlook, if any animal fails, its my fault PERIOD.

So I think giving regional advice on what a species acts like, should have a disclaimer. You know, like Cal kings may do much better in the west and eastern kings do much better in the east. That is, unless your willing to adapt to the snake in question.

If you look at canary species, like Scarlet kings. You know, fail first. Most if not all the Scarlet king breeders(ones with longterm success) are in the east. Hmmmmmmmmm Out here we call them sultana kings.(sultana is english for raisen)

Much to my disappointment, most here would rather fight with me, then even give one thought to changing how they keep their charges. You know, change for the rare but possible event, their husbandry is not exactly spot on. Again you know my opinion, all of our husbandry is not spot on. In fact, far from it. So why is it so hard to consider a change?

I understand just how wrong I am, but I was under the silly impression that it was our job to provide and adapt to them and not there job to adapt to us.

OH, and by the way, this is sorta a shotgun statement not exactly about any one person, like most of my posts. They may be triggered by one person, but not about a single person. Cheers

well said FR,good points....before taking on any new acquisition,mainly a new/different species,i have to factor in the constant dry conditions of my place,though i am in fact in the east...just the way my house is-old,and so dry it sucks the moisture out of anything.i have to sleep under a high quality humidifier in the winter;summer,less of a problem....sure i can buy another humidifier,or place mine in my snakes'areas,etc....but that's an uphill battle-i've tried it before...so i really try an go with that flow,instead of fight it-luckily,lots of my favorite species to keep thrive in low humidity-kings/milks are perhaps the one exception to this,and i do take small steps to accomidate them and their preference of some decent r.h.(larger water bowl,'moisture hides' with sphagnum)...but the point of my response/jumping in the fray here-i don't mind your remark 'if one of my snakes dies,i failed,period'...i am apt to agree-insofar as it could have been avoided by the caretaker's proper response/steps,save for old age,theoretically...just remember that what we strive for in captivity,100% survival rate,is what,maybe 900%(or more)better than what happens in nature...so many of our captives-the ones that grow a little slower,less hardy of a feeding response,a little smaller,etc.-just would'nt make it in the wild-i.e. we're 'beating nature' in lots of cases.

I live in coastal Cal and I had problems with the Easterns, Speckleds and Floridas I had. They were all wild caught adults and would go on fasts periodically and I could not get them to breed. Granted I did not try very hard instead I got rid of them after one season. The Cal Kings have always done well for me here though.

But you're too old FR and i respect senior citizens,ha!ha!ha!ha!

Give him a few days to settle in to his new evironment (new environment means: Different temps, different humidity, different daylight hours, different smells). Give him privacy and don't handle for a day or two. Wait about 4-7 days before initial feeding (especially if he's thick looking - he may have eaten recently). Remember provide a well ventilated cage, a hide, and keep temps in the low 80's during day and low to mid seventies at night. Don't use a heat lamp with that 10 gallon aquarium - it will get too hot, unless you use a very weak bulb (25 Watt or less with a screen top) Get a thermometer to keep an eye out on those temps. If you have the opportunity, get a book about Kingsnakes in the near future, you'll be glad you did. Those are just the basics.

Also prepare for some criticism: (There's one fellow on here that's quick to jump on everyone's HUSBANDRY techniques since he's been a perfect herp keeper since birth, while the rest of us are mere irresponsible, thoughtless snake abusers . But even then, take it with a grain of salt as even I welcome EVERYONE's input - Even his!!! The more we share, the smarter we become)

But anyway . . . I don't claim to be that perfect, but have kept and bred Kingsnakes close to thirty years now with MUCH success. So I, and a lot of others have a lot of good input for you here. All you have to do is ask! Be glad to assist. . . Hope this helps. . .

Zee

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"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

hi ali
The answer could be this-your snake’s world has just been shook up.
There is no way of knowing what its life has been like up until it came into your care.
Snakes could be handled by 3-100 people at a show and this is stressful. It has been transported, bumped, shifted through…well you get the point. Now it is not eating and it probably has a good reason. I know it is hard not to handle and show off a new snake but you will need to set aside the urge. Put it in its tank supply it with clean water a place to hide and the right temps. If it is in a room with a lot of activity cover the tank with a dark towel. Constant movement may stress it out. Give your snake the much needed rest that it probably deserves. It will (if it is in good health) settle into its new world. After 3 days (this is when you should change the water) start fresh. Offer it the pinks. If it eats leave it alone for another three days (this is a good sign that your snake is forgetting about the stress).then, change its water and wipe down its cage and give it a fresh litter. Remove the towel (if you used one) and start handling it as you need to (change water and clean). After a few weeks you will hopefully be the owner of a well acclimated king. Good luck and I hope this helps. one question is it a cal king?
jason

Hey, welcome and don't freak!!! They will eat when they are hungry, but a 30" king should be able to handle an adult mouse no prob. I would offer a live adult mouse knocked out but if that is too much for you just move up to an adult f/t. They are more nutritious for your snake. Also he may need a warmer side of the tank. What are your temps and be sure to have fresh water and a hide readily available. They can go a long time without food but need fresh water. Try these ideas and let us know!
Todd Hughes