Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well I have two baby cali kings that just dont want to eat. I have tried live and dead, but nothing works! I know their are are some tricks of the trade out there. Just wondering if anyone has any tips to get these little guys to start eatin! Thanks

Leave them alone in deli cups for 1 wk in a dark closet, then remove from closet and place tiny live pinks in deli cups, then put back in dark closet do not disturb for 12 hrs. Good-Luck!

some baby snakes are not meant to make it, it's the bummer side of keeping snakes.

What about water and temps? I am going to try this on 7 GBK hatchlings, but I wanted to check on this info first. I have force fed snakes plenty, though, but I'd rather not if I don't have to. Thanks, Derek

Baby GBK's LOVE lizards. Try scenting.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
3.4 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
0.1.0 Pueblan Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Albino San Diego Gopher Snake
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
1.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.1.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

.

If they look plump then i would'nt worry about water, if they look skinny then give them a 1hr pedialyte soaking and provide water during their stay in darkness.

temp should be about 80-82

Force feeding: pinky pump or other i don't agree with it.

like i said b/4 no guarentee but it has worked for me.

good luck and please let me know how they fair.

a small piece of paper wadded up in a ball(security object)to be in deli cup but make sure it won't absorb the water.

thanks I will surely try this all out. Ill get back at you in a couple weeks to tell you how everyone is doing! thanks again

stress them out, bother them as least as possible until you get them on the right track.

advise from jetzen,some baby kings do get stressed easy and often little or no contact is best in getting hatchlings adjusted to their new world, on a side note i setup problem feeders in shoeboxes w/water availible and plenty of hides and leave them alone(no contact) for a week to 10 days then only open the shoebox and drop a newborn live pinkie in and check it the nextday, 8 outta 10 times they eat it,one has to remember kings are fossorial snakes in nature and are engrained to feel vulnerable/scared(stressed)in open areas w/lots of movement etc. some individuals moreso than others and handling,visual movements,sounds,temps can all worsen this stress give them some time and space alone and most do come around good luck w/them,,,,,,,
thomas davis

check out this new kingsnake i got today

The 'ol polka-dotted,vanishing chain caliking eh? That's a nice one Jetz!
Todd Hughes

Why YES! that's a "polka dotted vanishing chain pattern cal" AKA "pin-dot pattern MBK", lol!

im diggin the nitida/nigrita. you are putting together ONE HELL OF A COLLECTION ,,,,,congrats,,,,,,,,thomas

Yes, i am puttin a hell of a collection together and i owe it to people like you and rainer and kerby and jason hood and many many others, and i'm lookin forward to many more killer deals with the good folks out in kingsnakeland.

I have a juvenile Cal King that wouldn't take F/T from tongs - would just jump around and spaz out. I took to putting it in a bare deli cup with a pinky or two and then leave that deli cup in the cage. By the time I've fed all my other snakes and come back to the Cal King, the F/T pinkies are gone. It's a bit of a pain in the rear but it works for this particular snake so I don't mind it so much.
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Matt Campbell

"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir