Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all. I just acquired this w/c Scarlet King. She was accidently dug up. She ate 2 pinky tails within 2 hrs of setting her up in an enclosure. Anyone ever worked with them care to offer any advice? Thank you in advance for the help.

mouse tails,i assume you mean voluntarily?if so that's a great sign.....see if you can get some really small pinky mice for it,since it's game for eating rodent prey.it would almost certainly also eat some skinks or other small lizards,but that prey can be parasite-laiden and it may not go back to warm blooded prey,which is by far the easiest to get for it.give it a hide box,don't handle it(they aren't much for that anyway usually),and maybe give it a cup of moist sphagnum moss to stay moist in......one question-where's it from,what state/county?it looks a little similar to some northeast nc/se va specimens i've seen....?
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"with head raised regally,and gazing at me with lidless eyes,he seemed to question with flicks of his long forked tongue my right to trespass on his territory" Carl Kauffeld

The mouse tails were voluntary. She was accidently dug up in Rowan County, NC. Its the only one I have seen myself.

Well, were are you, we can solve all your problems, I'll just drive down there from PA and take that gorgeous animal off your hands... j/k good luck with it...

Wow, tiny and cute but demanding I hear. If she ate those tails voluntarily, I would keep her. I think Crimsonking works or has worked with them, also try the small terrestrial forum. Good luck, maybe a humid hide/ leaf litter?
Todd Hughes

If its taking tails the battle is half won. The trick is to feed it often, two three times a week, and upsize the parts as it grows. Don't give into the temptation to feed it lizards to speed thigns up. The less they know of lizards the better rodent feeders they become. They are great little snakes and require little effort to keep thriving once you get them on pinkies.

I have made that mistake once with a Grayband. It won't happen again.

Many years ago I purchased a group of wild collected Scarlet's for a very cheap price.. I think I paid about $4 ea. They were all very small like yours. Unfortunately, I had no luck getting any of them to eat & one by one they went down..

If yours is eating on it's own I would hang on to it. Of course I would recommend keeping it well away from your other animals until your sure it is disease/parasite free, but other than that all should be good if she is an eater.

Good luck & keep us posted on her progress.

~ Mike Russo

She did eat on her own. It was probably her first meal. She ate 2 tails from very small pinkies. I have her seperated, but fully plan on keeping her.