Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my Thayeri kingsnake for a little less than three weeks now, and cleaned her cage for the first time a little over a week ago. When I did, the folds of the newspaper were different, and I removed her shoebox hide and gave her the lid to use instead since it's smaller and a much better fit for her. Here's a picture, not the best but you get the idea:

It's a 29 gallon tank with a 75 watt heat lamp (gets to the high 70's, the most I've ever seen it was 80). It's hard to see, but Arella is the tiny thing all the way on the left next to the pink shoe box lid.

She got very angry and upset once she found the cage re-arranged, and hasn't been tolerant and friendly as she has been since. She even shook her tail at me when I put my hand in the cage, something that she's only done once before, when I got her and she hid after having shed the night before. Is this normal? Will it happen everytime I clean the cage, or is this just because she's still relativly new?
-----
-Danielle

0.1 Thayeri Cross - Arella
0.3 Cats - Cupcake, Smokey, Thelma
0.0.1 African Dwarf Frog - Kikia
1.0.3 Tropical Fish

How big is she?If I were you id keep her hot end at 82-85 and her cool end in the mid 70's.If shes small the behavior change could be security. that cage is large enough for multiple hide spots in the hot and cool areas.Make shure the hide spots are so small that she has to squeeze in it, they like feeling there body touching there hide spots.Id also reccomend using aspen or pine bedding. That way even if she not in her hid box she will fell secure knowing she can cover her self.

Hope this helps, Mike King

one of my females in a hide box

i agree with mike.

Mutiple small hides hot and cold end.
Temps of upto 85 is a must for the hot end of an all glass viv as it cools much quicker than wood or plastics.
My Thayer's Kings absolutly love aspen bedding,some even prefer it to a hide, they can make burrows and little nest spots all over the place, eventually you will be able to tell what areas of the viv they prefer the most by the nest sites they create.

Abe

This might sound wacky but I found dark background (poster paper taped on background or any background) and some thick wood pieces ,etc so they can hide and crawl around. I tend to see mine much more as they like stuff like that.

He is also calmer with more things in tank other than two hide areas .

I use overhead heat to but shut it off completely around now till late Sept as room temp warm enough . If he is in room with AC than ofcourse thats different.

Thanks! That does explain a lot, especially since the way her cage is arranged now with the newspaper there's even less than before. Now that it's warmer the heat lamp gets into the mid 80's, once we start putting the AC on and keeping the windows closed I might have to get a bigger heat source. I'll be able to make more hides today and when we get a chance to get to the petstore I'll pick up some aspen bedding. And about the pieces of wood, should I buy them or can I use ones outside? Do I have to treat them with anything first?
-----
-Danielle

0.1 Thayeri Cross - Arella
0.3 Cats - Cupcake, Smokey, Thelma
0.0.1 African Dwarf Frog - Kikia
1.0.3 Tropical Fish

I wash the wood outside with dish soap and water, then wrap it in aluminum and bake at 200 degrees for at least an hour to kill the bugs. Just make sure you keep an eye on it, as I'm sure it's a great way to start a kitchen on fire!
-----
Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
3.4 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
0.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
1.1.0 Ball Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
0.1.0 Pueblan Milksnake
1.2.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.1.0 Solomon Island Ground Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
1.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.0 Desert Kingsnake
LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
0.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
1.0.0 Turquoise Sunburst Veiled Chameleon
1.0.3 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 Yellow Niger Uromastyx

Thanks, sounds good to me. I'll keep an eye on it in the oven though, heheh
-----
-Danielle

0.1 Thayeri Cross - Arella
0.3 Cats - Cupcake, Smokey, Thelma
0.0.1 African Dwarf Frog - Kikia
1.0.3 Tropical Fish

This is exactly what has happened to us. We had our baby King in a small carrier with hidebox while we were building her large habitat. She was easy to handle until we moved her into the new terrarium. Now she tries to get away and musks (ooooo!).
I have added shavings and another hide box since I read this forum. My questions is, the man at the pet store told my husband NOT to place a hide box on the warm side because this is the area where you are supposed to simulate "basking in the sun". What should I do?

Most of the kings I have found in the wild thermoregulate under some form of hide; rock, log, board, etc. so I would put a hide under the warm side as the snake can easily move under or on top and feel secure while getting the temp it needs! my .02.
Todd hughes