Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Lampropeltis getula goini... I got him yesterday. I'm guessing he's about a year or two old? He is one of the calmest kings I've seen in a long time.

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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

1.0.0 Banded California King
1.0.0 Mexican Black King
1.0.0 Bay of LA Rosy Boa
0.0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
1.2.0 Rubber Boas

Looks pretty good.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
www.captivebredforum.com

His color is nice, but he really needs some meals in him. That snake is thin! You may have to get him checked out at a vet. He may have some parasites. I hope it's not that bad.
thanks
Jeff

I love how people are so quick to make judgements and strike unneeded fear into someone, based on a photo. We don't know the history of the previous owner, how often it was fed, if it ate regularly or if it was underfed. It doesn't look that thin to me. Especially considering that most of the kings I've seen on this sight are grossly over fed and nothing like their healthy wild brothers and sisters. I've scoped snakes that were purchased from pet stores, that under fed them to save a buck or two, that looked horrible, yet scoped clean for protozoans and worms. I wish people would be just a little more reserved
in their judgement, especially when it's based on a photo.
Just my .02
-Phil

I disagree. That snake looks thin and it can be for numerous reasons...underfed or parasites. I think Jeff was pointing out that and its worth looking for parasites. A fecal only costs about 10 bucks at the vet. Should we not alarm someone when many here have have lots of experience in this stuff ? or just let them introduce a sick snake into an otherwise healthy colony ??? I just think its better to err on thinking the worst rather than assuming the best. I might point out this person may have a awesome quarantine policy and they got that snake from a person they know well so Im not making judgements against them just generalizations about new seemingly thin snakes.

Keith
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... Jeff was offering some friendly advice, and the snake IS thin ... not horribly thin to the point of death but it does need some beefing up ... also bringing up the possibility of parasites isn't a bad thing, it's just a heads up... just in case, you NEVER know what an animal has wen you add it to your collection.

~ZF
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Royal Blue ReptileZ
Home of Bklyn's Finest Brooksi

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signature file edited 4/22/06; contact an admin.

That is a sweet looking snake!

Indeed, that is one nice looking snake. Hopefully mine will look that good when he grows.

Before I got my snake, I didn't even know the Goini subspecies existed. Now, I think it might be my favorite.
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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

1.0.0 Banded California King
1.0.0 Mexican Black King
0.0.1 Goini Kingsnake
1.0.0 Bay of LA Rosy Boa
0.0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
1.2.0 Rubber Boas

~ZF
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Royal Blue ReptileZ
Home of Bklyn's Finest Brooksi

___

signature file edited 4/22/06; contact an admin.

Uhh... Well the snake was bred and purchased at the East Bay Vivarium (according to the previous owners), definitely not wild caught. Is it common for young captive-bred snakes to have internal parasites? Or is it more likely that he just needs to eat some more?

I worked at a reptile store for two years, and I've seen many cases of thin snakes that were just because the owners didn't adjust the diet as the snake grew ("What do you mean he needs bigger mice?".

All of my other snakes are healthy and I've never needed to visit a vet (there are herp vets around here though). How do I take a fecal sample into the vet? Does it have to be really "fresh"? Or do I just bring the whole snake in?

Also, should I wait to do this or should I get some meals in him first to see if he fattens up? I was thinking he should get something like three or four fuzzies a week.

Thanks!
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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

1.0.0 Banded California King
1.0.0 Mexican Black King
0.0.1 Goini Kingsnake
1.0.0 Bay of LA Rosy Boa
0.0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
1.2.0 Rubber Boas

Well its not uncommon at all for CB to have parasites or a protazoan problem. Parasites and such transfer like anything else unsanitary cages or water bowls or simply just not washing hands between cage cleaning and handling. A place like Eastbay has a huge inventory and it is something to consider. Now the question is do you simply try and fatten it up and see if that helps ? You can but keep it away from the rest of your snakes and lizards and practice extra careful sanitation protocal. Me personally I wouldnt have purchased a snake thats thin its considered a warning sign. There are circumstances where I would but I would get a fecal done and quarantine the snake. Why risk bring the whole collection to the vet instead of just one ? In reagrds to food the best way to aftten him up is small meals often like 5-6 fuzzies a week spread out. Its hard to gage his size or hoppers may be more appropriate ?

Keith
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Hoppers would definitely be too big for this guy. He is only about two feet long.

I think he is probably just underfed, because I just looked at the bag the guy gave me and described as "a couple weeks' worth" of food, and there was only three fuzzies in there.

Honestly though, the snake doesn't unhealthy to me (though he definitely could fatten up a little). All the young kings I've delt with seem to have that sort of scrawny look, and I find that they really don't start beefing up until they are about two years old.
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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

1.0.0 Banded California King
1.0.0 Mexican Black King
0.0.1 Goini Kingsnake
1.0.0 Bay of LA Rosy Boa
0.0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
1.2.0 Rubber Boas

Do what you feel is best but young Kings in general shouldnt look or feel scrawney. He is skinny due to not enough food or some other problem. You will know soon enough and he is a handsome snake so good luck and keep us posted.

Keith
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2 feet long is big enough for hoppers.
My little boys are currently about 28 inches and take small mice.
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

At two feet he is big enough to eat a large mouse. I would feed him a couple small mice (not hopper size but bigger) and then get a fecal to the vet. If he regurges you probably will only need flagyl. But his thin condition could mean he has other parasites as he does not look like he has been fed much or the parasites are eating up whatever you put into his system.

Save some money and get whole food mice. IMO the hoppers are a bit overkill in trying to "nurse" him back.... He is not that far gone to "Nurse" and a whole meal (a mature mouse) would be a while lot better for him than hoppers. Hoppers are more expensive since you have to buy several as well. With a larger mouse you will get all teh calcium and nutrients that he needs right away. He will be able to handle a whole mouse. Snakes in the wild are ofetn this thin and eat larger meals than that.

What's interesting - of my four "juvenile" kings (between 2 and 3 feet), the smallest female (not much over 2 feet) likes to take down small mice, I've never tried large. The next two up in size, both males, will eat small mice sometimes, but other times they refuse (but will take hoppers). They have become more consistent with taking mice though this month. The next one up eats multiple mice. She's about 4 inches or so longer than the two middle boys, and has the best feeding response of any of them (she'll take them right out of my hand).
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

My 32" MBK is eating small rat once a week. he startes to eat rats when he was 25".
(in the picture he was about 28"

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1.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher
1.0 W.C. Sonoran Gopher
2.1 Leucistic Texas ratsnake
0.1 het leucistic Rusty ratsnake
2.3 W.C Okeetee Corn
1.1 Abbt line Okeetee Corn
1.2 W.C Miami Phase Corn
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.0 Orange Pueblian Milk
1.1 W.C Mexican Black King
0.2 Mexican Black King
2.0 W.C Cal King
0.1 Durango Mountain King
1.0 Desert King
1.3 Northern pine
1.2 Bearded Dragon
45 Tanks full with African Cichlids.
Many Mice, Rats and feeder Roaches

Heheh, it can take fuzzies no prob! My '06 easterns from ECC are only 13" and on 2 fuzzies now! That goini will be a fair sized adult and I usually see massive growth in the second year. It doesn't look too skinny, but it can move up with no problems, imho. Awesome looking snake!
Todd Hughes

East Bay Vivarium is (or least was) an excellent shop, but it still may have parasites.

I try to get the poop fairly quickly after it is passed, put it in a zip lock baggie, and into the fridge. I then take it to the vet either same day or within 24 hours.

My vet charges $16.50

If it has parasites, there is an additional charge, as the snake has to be seen by the vet (office visit) for him to medicate (hasn't happened to me yet).
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Thanks for the replies everyone.

The snake is alert and active, so I think I'll just do what Keith recommended and feed him like 5-6 fuzzies a week for a few weeks and see if he fattens up. If he doesn't gain a significant amount of weight, I'll take a fecal sample to the vet and get it tested (and get the snake treated, if necessary).

I'll be sure to post more pictures as he grows and improves.
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- Natalie
(San Francisco Bay Area)

1.0.0 Banded California King
1.0.0 Mexican Black King
0.0.1 Goini Kingsnake
1.0.0 Bay of LA Rosy Boa
0.0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
1.2.0 Rubber Boas

2ft and eating a large mice is pretty big. That snake looks thin, but I somewhat doubt it is parasites. Do what you said and post a follow up. I trained my 22 incher to eat feeder fish and she gains 5 grams a week.

He's beautiful, and I love that he's in the shape of a heart in the second photo.

Kira

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>>Lampropeltis getula goini... I got him yesterday. I'm guessing he's about a year or two old? He is one of the calmest kings I've seen in a long time.

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>>- Natalie
>>(San Francisco Bay Area)

Congradulations on your new purchase, just wanted to say Hi to another local herper.
BoB Bichler,(San Francisco East Bay Area)
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html
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R.BICHLER