Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting here, and I could really use some help. About a month ago, I bought my first snake, an approx 6 month old desert phase California Kingsnake. He's been very good about me handling him for short periods of time each day until just recently. Within the last week, he has started striking and "nipping" a lot, and yesterday he bit me straight out and wouldn't let go for several minutes! I've upped his feedings, thinking he was just hungry, but he's up to two pinkies twice a week now and it's getting counter productive because the more I feed him the less I can handle him because I don't want him to regurge. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do? Is he just going through a cranky phase or a growth spurt? I want him to be a handleable pet, not just something pretty to look at in the tank. Thanks in advance!

Make sure the snake is healthy by visual inspection, and possibly taking it to the vet if you deem that necessary. Your temps in the cage should be between 70F-90F on the cool and hot side respectively. This is just a general range, though. Don't let the temp drop below 70F; the snake could develop a respiratory infection. Since the snake is eating well, I'd wager that it's just fine. Once you're at least fairly sure the snake is healthy, make a commitment to keep handling it. I can't say why it's behaving this way all of a sudden, but don't give up. I can almost guarantee you it's NOTHING. If I'm not mistaken, some snakes can be a little territorial. In any event, I'm pretty sure with CONSISTENT GENTLE HANDLING YOU AND THE SNAKE WILL BE FINE! P.S. I have a three foot Cal. king that still musks me from time to time when I go to handle him/her. I handle her regularly and don't understand why she continues to do this. I've had her for a long time. I think it's evidence that snakes have moods, or at least times when they'd rather not be bothered. Oh! One more thing! Us keepers have a tendency (I think) to handle our snakes too much or too long once they are out. This CAN stress them out. Use your best judgement. Don't mean to crowd your brain, just want to help as much as I can. -Life Is Learning-

I've had the same thing happen to me on many occassions over the years with Cal. Kings. Only once over a lot of years with an Eastern(I think she was crazy)LOL.

Alot of others have had very good fortune with having a very handlable Cal. King. Some friends have NEVER had a problem and seem shocked to hear of such a thing. I have had a few trustworthy, but mostly what's happening to you has happened to me and others I know. I love how they look but that's why I gave up on Cal. Kings a long time ago.

It has been my experience that all Kings are individuals and there are exceptions but I have found Mexican Black Kings and Easterns the least prone to wig out if you are looking for a calm trustworthy Kingsnake to work with.(No offense to the Cal. King Guys,it's just been MY experience)

Of course double check yourself to make sure you have no previous snake or rodent odors on you before handling the Cal. King to inadvertently trigger a feeding response.

Maybe someone here can help you more. I tried to figure out what I might be doing wrong and gave up after a lot of years. On the other hand there is a lot of other subs to work with.I would consider cutting my losses after working with him some more and getting something else. Pretty only goes so far Good luck.

After rereading your post it could be that he's just a little bugger. Little guys are a bit more nervous and in time settle down with some age. I'm sure it's tough being a hatchling in the wild and about the only time they get handled by anything is when they are being put in a mouth LOL. As small as he is it's probably like you getting picked up by Godzilla, A stressfest! Good Luck.

Try not to stall when picking it up. Make sure you have no mouse scent on your hands. Just reach in behind him and pick him up without stopping. Sometimes little guys like that get nervous with your hand stopped right in front of its face. Once you get them out, they are usually fine. This has been my experience anyway. Derek

>>Try not to stall when picking it up. Make sure you have no mouse scent on your hands. Just reach in behind him and pick him up without stopping. Sometimes little guys like that get nervous with your hand stopped right in front of its face. Once you get them out, they are usually fine. This has been my experience anyway. Derek

I second that, but have a paper towel ready encase it musks. I believe It’s all in handling . The more you handle, the tamer they will be. I do believe that California King snakes are a territorial species. If you just start messing around in their enclosure. They will probably try to strike at you. But if you just reach in and grab them, take them out and now start walking around and handling them, letting them crawl threw your hands , hand over hand, without trying to restrain them. They will calm down very quickly. I think walking around distracts them while at the same time. You are calming them down, using your hands.
My kings all seem to mellow out after 2-3yrs, EXCEPT ONE!!! My largest female, and I think its CRAZY!!! LOL, But this year its seem to have mellowed out, but I still don't trust it. LoL.

Good Luck:
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R.BICHLER http: //www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html

Posted by: rbichler at Fri Apr 7 22:54:49 2006 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

>>Try not to stall when picking it up. Make sure you have no mouse scent on your hands. Just reach in behind him and pick him up without stopping. Sometimes little guys like that get nervous with your hand stopped right in front of its face. Once you get them out, they are usually fine. This has been my experience anyway. Derek

I second that, but have a paper towel ready encase it musks. I believe It’s all in handling . The more you handle, the tamer they will be. I do believe that California King snakes are a territorial species. If you just start messing around in their enclosure. They will probably try to strike at you. But if you just reach in and grab them, take them out and now start walking around and handling them, letting them crawl threw your hands , hand over hand, without trying to restrain them. They will calm down very quickly. I think walking around distracts them while at the same time. You are calming them down, using your hands.
My kings all seem to mellow out after 2-3yrs, EXCEPT ONE!!! My largest female, and I think its CRAZY!!! LOL, But this year its seem to have mellowed out, but I still don't trust it. LoL.

Good Luck:
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R.BICHLER http: //www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html

I see you keep different snakes do you find your Ca kings the most nervous most inclined to bite out of your kings?
I ask because considering high white or albino but not sure if want CA king as think other types might be calmer.
thanks

Hi Bianca

First of all, Cal kings can be very spirited, especially when young. They are avid feeders and are not timid when it comes to feeding. For these reasons, they are not always a real joy to handle. Older specimens almost always are very mellow, but even then they can give you a surprise musking or a surprise feeding response bite. The musking thing is perhaps the most bothersome attribute IMO. Some Cals don't musk after a few years old; some never stop musking.

They remain excellent pets due to their relative ease of care and their many patterns and colors possible if breeding them. They are still my favorite getula.

Just so you know, all of the black&white desert Cal kings I've had were the least likely to musk as adults and the calmest compared to any brown and yellow Cal (coastal phase). If you are concerned, then look to the black & whites if you want a Cal.

Thanks . I imagine the high whites are same tempermeant as the regular banded black/whites?

Bianca

Kind of depends on the kind you are talking about. The "high-whites" produced from the low-desert Cals generally make calm adults; the HWs produced from years of selective breeding with any lo-black animal included coastal Cal kings in the mix. Still, any Cal I've had that was very white in color, no matter how much, has been a joy except for a few somewhat nervous individuals (the nervous one made great breeders though). My high-yellow animals were pretty nice as adults too but not quite as mellow. The yellow/brown bandeds were muskers and more flighty.

Babies can be nuts no matter what. Don't be put off by a pissy baby snake. That said, some of the B&Ws I produced were fairly nice as babies much of the time. The albino coastals on the other hand would strike and musk at the slightest provocation.

You might want to ask Kerby from Lonesome Valley Reptiles. He posts here and breeds one heck of alot of Cals. He may fill you in better. And also keep in mind that you will find individuals defying any guideline.

okay thanks leaning towards the high whites now.

Bianca

Wow, I'm impressed by how fast everyone responded! Thanks for all the advice. I hope my tank setup and temp gradient is okay. It says around 87 on the hot side and 74 on the cool side during the day, and everything drops to around 70 at night. He went to the vet right after I bought him for a fecal and physical, and everything checked out okay so I'm pretty sure he's healthy. Maybe he is just a little bugger! I'll do like you all said and continue to handle him, in the hopes he will chill out and get back to how he was before.

As far as feeding him goes, I have been feeding him in his tank. Should I be taking him out to feed him? Will that make him less territorial/protective of the tank? Do you think I'm feeding him too much/too little? Four pinkies a week seems like a lot for his size, but he keeps them down and never hesitates to eat.

Thanks so much again for all the advice!!! -Katie

Looks like you made him a very nice setup. Good work! He looks like he may be big enough for a fuzzy or two. I would try one and see how he looks in a few days(lump wise)and then go to two at some point when your comfortable. Too much at once and you can have him toss them. Stressfull to him and his health and REAL gross for you.... Nice looker, Good luck.

One of the controversies that you'll hear on these forums is over substrate. Some people like newspaper, and others like various wood products that appear more natural. I use the more natural-looking substrate, and I'm very happy with it. However, I'm not very experienced, so I don't mean to be arguing against the newspaper fans. At the advice of some folks on this forum, I added a great deal of extra substrate to my aquarium, and my guy really like burrowing in the substrate.

Again, I'm not experienced enough to advocate that you get away from newspaper, but you might want to shred some newspaper to provide an area of deeper substrate where your guy could burrow if he wanted. If he doesn't use the deeper substrate, then you could just remove it later. If he does use it, then you've given him something that will make him happier. Either way, I think your setup is good. I might suggest getting a backing for the other side of your aquarium. He might feel more secure if the back side didn't look so open.

Good luck,

Bill

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