Reptile & Amphibian Forums

These are my observations, of a very small sample of kingsnakes.

Until recently, I never used pre-killed rodents. Recently, I've been using both live and pre-killed.

These are California Kings.

For my juveniles, I've only tried f/t fuzzies as the local pet store does not carry frozen hoppers.

My two juvenile males (just over 2 feet long) take them, but not as readily as live. One of them will only take one pre-killed per feeding, the other will take two.

With live - they will take 3 fuzzies or 1 hopper each before they stop feeding.

My juvenile female (just over 2 feet long) I aquired in early July, and she had been raised on f/t - she takes them no problem.

Anyway - since the juvenile female takes them no problem, I'm guessing it is only a matter of time before my juvenile males start taking them no problem - since they already take them, just not as well as live.

They will constrict live prey (including the juvenile female raised on f/t) and they will not constrict f/t prey.

I also have 1.1 adult Cal kings, a 4' WC banded and a 4' CB albino banded.

The WC king refuses f/t all together. The CB female - I haven't tried f/t but she was raised on f/t.

Anyway - I picked up a couple mice from the pet store today. I let them know that last time, they chewed their way out of the bag. So the girl double bagged them, and then put the bag into a plastic bag and tied it.

Well, I live walking distance to the pet store. it only took me 10 minutes to get home - but both mice were dead. I guess in heat, I'm going to have to bring a cold pack with me - and make sure the plastic bag is not tied.

Anyway - the CB female took the freshly killed mouse but did not constrict. Earlier when I fed her a live mouse, she did constrict, and it was a textbook perfect constriction.

My WC male who had never taken anything but live - he actually took the dead mouse, and he did constrict, even though it was obviously dead. He didn't constrict long, but he did.

I know my sample size is too small, but it interesting that an older snake who has had nothing but live his entire life would still constrict a dead mouse, while a CB raised on f/t would not constrict it - yet still constrict a live mouse with perfection like she had been doing it her whole life.
-----
3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Perhaps the dead mouse was at an appetizing temperature--he believed he was eating a comatose mouse!

rgds,
althea

He's not dead! He's stunned!

Wonderful bird the Norwegian Blue - lovely plumage...

Fun with snake's food!
My guys (corn and bairds) will constrict anything that moves. I usually feed F/T. Using tongs, I dangle/jiggle the mouse/rat/whatever in front of the snake. This produces a pronounced enthusiastic feeding response. Usually they hit it so hard its ripped out of the forceps. Now they've got it, maybe with a coil or two wrapped around...

So...Now I grab a leg, tail, etc. with the tongs and give the mouse a good shake! This usually kicks in the old killer instinct, resulting in full-blown constriction. They almost always eat after that.

Even more fun with snake's food!
While my guy is busy killing and/or eating the first one... I get a second rat/mouse (using the tongs) and touch any free part of the snakes body with the rodent. The snake SLAMS the second mouse against any nearby solid object! Pinning it down so he can deal with it after he finishes off the one he has! My Bairds has pinned 2 mice at a time. while gobbling down the first. This works well to get him to eat multiple food items.

A word of caution...Don't do this with your hands. Never, ever, don't-even-THINK-about-it do this with a giant constrictor or venomous snake.

Be good to your snakes!

John D.

-----
I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"