Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I have a problem with my Black Mexican kingsnake. I went on vacation for 2 months, and asked my buddy to feed it once a week. Unfortunately, he fed it inside the cage (he placed a shoe box inside). And he never pet it or took it out of the cage. Now that I'm back, I attemprted to take him(my snake) out and feed it in a shoe box out of his cage. As I opened the cage, he launched at me! Biting my finger. I did wash my hands before this attempt. But now he just attacts everything that's inside the cage. So I fed it like my friend did. Is there any help to this? If I can't even touch the snake, how can I pick it up?

Thanks in advance.

Handle him despite the biting.

Despite what we sometimes like to think, snakes are not anything like cats - human affection is not something they crave. If he has figured out that striking at people results in him not being handled, guess what he is going to do?

Handle him, despite biting, and he will most likely calm down while being handled.

It's possible your friend was too rough with it, or let people handle it who shouldn't have. But anyway, if this is a snake you wish to handle, it needs to learn that biting isn't going to do it any good, and that you are not a threat.
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3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I thank you both, I better go buy some gloves and try to pick him up in few days...he just ate.

Also I don't know why, insead of killing a fuzzy and then eating it, he choked it for about 30 seconds, and he swollowed it alive...is this normal? He never did that before.

Also sounds like he may not have fed on schedule.
Todd Hughes

I agree with Funkyres, he MAY have been mishandled or frightened by a dog or cat. It has happened to me. I would handle it and endure through the biting and try to re-establish a calming with it.
Todd Hughes

I've heard of other posters that had bitey snakes. Somebody suggested they pick the snake up with a snake hook, and once the snake gets out of his "house", they should be fine when held. I agree because some of my snakes are a little squirmy when picking them up, but settle down when I have them out. Good Luck! Derek

feed, feed, feed, feed, until your MBK is so fed up with eating that he won't wanna do do anything but go to sleep for a month.

You're joking...right?

No, i'm not joking, your king is obviously hungry,now if you feed him more, his feeding response will slow down and he will be more handable, i have several snakes that do the same and when they have a full stomach they're easier to handle, just don't over handle, and he should be fine, and beware when he get's hungry again,lol! good luck!

Never heard of that kind of feeding...so tell me, do I have to feed it every day? Or more often then once a week? How do I know if I'm not over feeded him? His skin is getting grey-ish right now...so he will shed soon. Should I wait till he sheds before doing this feeding thing?

...it would be helpful if someone could tell me the whole process.

Let him go thru his shed after he's done he'll let you know when he's hungry,if shows signs of hunger then feed him, the draw back of all this is he may become very big and very fat.
Also you might try letting him eat in your hand if he's under 2 feet he can't hurt you very much, and i have found this to be good for them to get used to being handled. Just watch your fingers!

I used to feed him by hand...but now he's about 2 feet and 3 inches or so. Well I'll let him shed, and then I'll feed him every day.

Will being fat affect his health?

I can see you are NO novice, just get that snake the way it was b/4 your freind took care of it and you'll do fine.

A lot of times aggressive behaviour like this is the result of underfeeding a snake. Given you left the snake to a friend to care for for 2 months, and they hap hazardly fed it in the first place, I'd question how much he fed it at all during his time of keeping. Simply filling it up can do wonders to a snakes dispositon.
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Ace

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