Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, my corn snake is only our second snake. Our other one is a Florida king who is really mellow. We handle her a lot and got her when she was very small.

We just got this king but his personality is VERY different! He was bigger when we got him (just last weekend), so maybe he just hasn't been handled much.

Today I took him out and he is really strong, he spent a lot of time trying to just plain get away in a straight line. But I kept at it and after a while he actually mellowed a little bit.

With regular handling, should he mellow out eventually? Or are corn snakes just keyed a little higher than kings? Just wondering what to expect. Thanks.

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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

typo above: We got this CORN, not KING. My bad...
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

Usually it is just the opposite. Kings are usually VERY high strung (all that I have ever encountered) and corns are mellow. Your kisatchie isn't a corn though He should be mellow but probably just wasn't handled. Keep at it and he should be fine.
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.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

"Have you ever tried simply turning off the T.V., sitting down with your kids... and hitting them?"

Some field guides identify that subspecies as a corn snake.
I believe Stebbins does, for example. I believe he calls it "Western corn snake".

Kind of like how some field guides call corn snakes "Red Rat Snakes"

But even if that isn't the accepted common name, that's like telling someone a scarlet kingsnake isn't a milk snake. Same species, just a different subspecies. But that's not why I responded.

Some kings can be extremely mellow. Cal Kings tend to be high strung. But some subspecies are really mellow.

One distinct possibility is that your "western corn" snake smells the kingsnake and is freaking about it - as in the wild, kings tend to eat other reptiles.

Make sure to wash your hands extra well after handling the king before handling the corn.
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3.6 L. getula californiae - 16 eggs (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer catenifer (Pacific gopher)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata - 14 eggs (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

Well call me superficial, but I don't actually care what he is (although I do have an interest in KNOWING what he is - I understand, however, that is up for debate). I just think he's cool as hell.

I am trying not to handle them on the same day. He might be getting more comfortable. As I said before, he's eaten already, and also he seems to be spending less and less time underneath his aspen and hiding places, maybe he feels less threatened?

But I'll keep handling him and spending time with him, I think he'll continue to make progress in handleability.

Thanks for the feedback.
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

>>Well call me superficial, but I don't actually care what he is (although I do have an interest in KNOWING what he is - I understand, however, that is up for debate). I just think he's cool as hell.
>>
>>I am trying not to handle them on the same day. He might be getting more comfortable. As I said before, he's eaten already, and also he seems to be spending less and less time underneath his aspen and hiding places, maybe he feels less threatened?
>>
>>But I'll keep handling him and spending time with him, I think he'll continue to make progress in handleability.
>>
>>Thanks for the feedback.
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Keep handling it but either handle it first and then the king or wash your hands after handling the king, before handling the kisatchie. Which is a beautiful specimen by the way.
It will calm down.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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Thanks Draybar. I was going to just handle them on alternating days, but I guess in theory, the king will not be upset by smelling the other one! Although she might think my hand is five dinner mice!
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii