Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, so I'm a boid guy. I own retics and carpet pythons. My girlfriend took a recent liking to snakes, and decided she wanted one of her own, so we bought an albino Cali King.

We got her on Friday (Dec 14th), and she also ate a pinky mouse that day. It's now Sunday evening (Dec 16th), and her pinky has already been digested and defecated. My girlfriend had her out, holding her, and the snake decided it was going to attempt to eat her thumb. The king opened her mouth and latched on as if it were eating f/t, and then wrapped her thumb. We got her off, snake unharmed.

Why is she doing this? I've never owned a colubrid in my life, just boids, so I'm new to their behaviors. If someone could please give me some insight on this issue, it would be greatly appreciated.

All in all, it was pretty humorous. I'd just like to know how to stop this behavior, and some opinions on why this would happen.

Thanks.

Feed that snake! LOL! It is very hungry and is giving you a feeding response, especially wrapping her thumb, but attempting to swallow the thumb is a dead giveaway!
-----
Todd Hughes

LOL I figured as much!

I just have never seen a snake digest and rid itself of food in 2 days' time?

Do kingsnakes normally have this voracious an appetite?

Believe me, she'll have two pinkies in her tomorrow morning.

Other than being hungry, what could cause this, if anything?

I'm just baffled if she's hungry after two days.

I used to feed cali king hatchlings every 2 days.
-----
Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 11/29

So it's pretty much normal then, for them to have such a high digestion and disposal rate?

Thanks for the input guys.

Kings have a much higher metabolism than boids. Most hatchlings digest within 48 hours or so.....depending on the size of the meal, temps, health, etc. Most snakes' growing is done during the first 18-24 months and they seem to go through food at a very rapid pace. This isn't with every species, but it's common with most colubrids. Feed them and watch them grow before your eyes.

Brandon Osborne
-----
www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

That was exactly the answer I was looking for.

Thanks alot for your time.

.
-----
www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

My first cali king, was fed every 2-3 days, and everytime was fed 2-3 pinkies, then large pinkies, then hoppers. And easily went from 12" to 30" by the time it was a year old.
-----
Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 11/29

To continually loading a conveyor belt!..LOL

~Doug
-----
"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

24/7 if you'd give them the chance?

Scott D

0.1 Aberrant Sonran bullsnake
4.3 Black kings
2.2 Desert kings
2.0 Florida kings hypos
3.2 Speckled kings
2.2 Eastern kings
2.2 Cal kings
2.4 Mex blk kings
3.3 Outer Banks kings
2.3 Goini kings
1.0 Thayeri buckskin king
1.1 Sinaloan milks
1.1 West Langtry grays
2.2 New Mexico milks
1.2 Eastern milks
0.1 Praire king
3.4 Arizona Mtn kings

Yup- what they all said... total garbage disposals! This guy did this to me for a couple of weeks straight, until I bumped up his feeding schedule to satisfy his hunger:

//Todd

That's exactly what it looked like.

The camera was down in the car so I wasn't able to get a picture, otherwise I'd have posted some.

It was funny. I'm starting to like colubrids a little after that. It made me not so boid-biased.

Yeah- they are different in so many ways, but SO cool in so many ways, too!

I started with pits (VERY addictive), then on to the pythons, on to the kings, and back to the pits again... (up to 20 in total now).

Just keep that little guy fed, and you two should keep all of your fingers in tact!

//Todd

unless you mess with hots, lol!
-----
Todd Hughes

Could also be a responce to a moving finger, predator going after prey. Like it was said just feed it a lot. Good thing it didn't poop on her too! LOL!

One factor may have been the scent of mouse on the hand or even just in the air. One or two mousey molecules gets registered in their tiny brains and they're on autopilot -- everything in sight must be subdued and swallowed!

Sort of like the ant in that old song "High Hopes" . . . (Boomer Alert - people who are less chronologically gifted may have trouble knowing understanding the reference) LOL

Good luck with your kingsnake.

Tom Corley

4.4 L.p. thayeri
2.2 L.p. knoblochi
1.1 Abbott Okeetee corn
1.0 Elaphe o. rossalleni
1.0 L. nigritus

The smell of other snakes especially if you just handled them will cause a feeding response. Yes most colubrids have a faster metabolism when keep at temps. boids are kept at. My Macklots is the only boid that eats just as fast as the kings.