Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Lately my King Snake has been VERY active and he strikes at me when I try to pick him up. I admit I don't handle him as much as I should but he has never struck at me before. Could it be breeding season or something?

Check your cage temps. When the weather changes to warmer days cage temps can creep up without notice and high temps make snakes irritable.

I recommend posting this question in the specific kingsnake forum

Might as well check for mites, too. They can sometimes cause this type of behavior.

Have a good one!
HH
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Thanks so much.....It doesn't hurt when he bites but everytime I pull away out of reaction (Im such a dunce) so how will I get him to check for mites...I think it could be the cage temp, should I unplug the heatpad under the tank? I will check on the other site, thanks!

> > > "It doesn't hurt when he bites but everytime I pull away out of reaction (Im such a dunce)..."

Heh, you're not alone. I've kept snakes for over 30 yrs, bitten countless times, and I still instinctively pull back sometimes.

I think you'll find that if you'll continue to grab him, even if he bites or strikes, he'll calm down real quick. Especially once he's out of the cage.

When he bites/strikes and you end up leaving him alone, he's learning how to keep you at bay. You can use something resembling a snake hook, like maybe the handle of an umbrella, and use it to gently stroke it a few times and then use the hook on the umbrella to take him out of the cage.

Push come to shove, a sweatshirt and some gloves will work.

If the heatpad is the only source of heat, it should be OK to leave it on, but that can depend on the temperature of the room the cage is in. I think most heatpads are set for 85 degrees, unless they come with an adjusment on them.

I don't want to throw too many possibilities at you but the warmer temperatures of Spring also usually increase their appetites. Although, this wouldn't necessarily make them more aggressive. Is it possible he's hungry?

How long have you had the snake?

If you don't have a good thermometer you can get a decent, cheap, digital thermometer from Wal-mart for $11 that has an additional probe so you can get temperature reading from both ends of the cage. (digital indoor/outdoor thermometer)

You'll get a lot more responses over in the kingsnake section. There are some good, knowledgeable people there.

Hang in there!
HH
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Wendy,
I goofed on the temps on heating pads, that is, if they're the UTH (under the tank) heating pads. It appears that most of the UTH pads are about 100 degrees. If that's the case, that's most likely your problem. Please ask someone else about heating pad temps to be sure. I've never used them so I don't know for sure & I thought I was right, but I wasn't. Sorry!

Regardless of the heating pad's temp, you should always know, or be able to tell, what the cage temps are.
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Thanks for the info, he is not acting "crazy" today....I have had him about 3 - 4 months. I admit I don't handle him that often but he has never acted like this. Could he be requiring more food now? I was feeding him 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1...... Should I up it to two every week? Usually, I don't handle him on Thurs or Friday morning because I feed him on Thur or Friday morning. But this was after I fed him. I guess I will go try and pick him up again. Maybe I am just not the right gaurdian for a snake.....I was told the King Snake would be perfect for a beginner.

Glad to hear that your snake is getting his act together. LOL!

I don't think he was acting that way due to hunger, colubrids, in general, will sometimes get frisky like that out of the blue. I've seen it more in corn snakes than anything else, but I think its a characteristic of colubrids.

I'd say that odds are that he was either feeling frisky or temps got too high.

As for your feeding schedule, I recommend feeding 2 (or whatever is closest to appropriate size meals) every 10 days instead of 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 every 7 days. I feel that a consistent amount is better for their health than leap-frogging like that.

> > > "Maybe I am just not the right gaurdian for a snake.....I was told the King Snake would be perfect for a beginner."

Ahh, you'll be fine. Might take you awhile to work out a few kinks & get into the swing of things but I think you'll be happy with that king, especially if you'll give yourself & him a chance.

If nothing else, just go to the kingsnake section and read thru the posts from time to time. You'll learn tons just from that. And never hesitate to ask anyone anything.

Hang in there!
HH
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

Hi Wendy!
I just wanted to see how things were going with your snake. I hope all is well.

Take care!
HH
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.

kingsnakes can be good beginner snakes. Keep them bellies full and they are usually very happy snakes. Mine always gets active and bitey when it's hungry and it is always hungry it seems lol...of course it is still a youngster that is growing... bottomless pit, just like a teenager. I feed it and 2 days later it wants more.
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PHWyvern