Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just purchased a mexican black kingsnake. It is about 12" long. It is very nervous. It does not musk but shakes it tail and goes to bite. Do I just pick it up and let it bite me until it stops and how much does it hurt to get bitten. Will I feel it? Can it draw blood? Will it let go immediatley or just hang on? Also I don't know how to delete the attached picture. I know it's a boa

most snakes will grow out of it. your MBK is just a hatchling and is just being defensive. when you handle him the more he will calm down. when bitten try not to return him in his cage right after it bit you and he could learn that biting you is scaring you off. just keep on handling him. also if he bit and hung on to you is most likely that he may be just hungry. hope this help you some. good luck.

I would go ahead and pick the snake up anyway. If you constantly back off, the snake will never get used to you because it will never be handled.

Getting bitten by a snake that size is nothing to worry about. It's like having your finger pricked by a bunch of VERY small needles. If the snake does bite you, try not to jerk away. You can do a whole lot more damage to the snake by pulling away than he can do to you at this stage. If he doesn't release immediately, take him to a sink and run warm water on him. This should make him release. Do NOT try to pry him off.

Also, kingsnakes can and do have intense feeding responses. My advice is to feed the snake in a separate, substrate-free container (to keep him from ingesting the substrate). Once he finishes eating, place the container inside the snake's main enclosure and allow him to crawl out. This keeps you from having to deal with a snake in a "feeding frenzy".

Congratulations and good luck with your snake!

Chances are the snake will calm down as it grows. Baby snakes are naturally defensive. I'd just leave the snake alone for a couple of months - it sounds like you're stressing it out. Over time the snake will realize that you are not a threat. Sometimes it's best to let young snakes get some growth on them before subjecting them to regular handling.

Tim

Third Eye

Like the others have said, it will get acclimated in time, and begin to see that you are not a threat. Try to imagine the tiny snake's point of view,.......to it, you are a GIANT MONSTER that is going to eat it, that is an extremely useful survival instinct that is "encoded" in many young snakes at birth.

Don't expect things to change overnight, but gradually, you will see things get better, the musking/biting will subside after a while. A bite from such a small snake is hardly noticable really, and afterwards you will laugh it off and think nothing of it, but as some others have mentioned, try NOT to jerk back if it does do this, it can potentially harm the snake much more than it will you. Also, when you go to get it out, don't hesitate and go back and forth in front of the little dude with the before mentioned "Giant Monster Hand", it will view this as more of a threatening gesture. Don't give it time to "zero in" on your hand, but instead just gently and deliberately pick it up at mid-body, this way, it won't have time enough to think about it, and get defensive.

Another good way for some, is to fashion a small snake hook out of wire that is smoothed at the tip, so it doesn't poke the snake, and after lifting the hide box, go down and hook the snake while it's still conveniently coiled up. Slowly lift the snake out, and gently place it in your hand, this way, he didn't "spook" over the sight of the big "Monster" hand, and allows the snake to "see" that things really aren't as bad as he originally thought, and will surely calm down in just a little time. This will give both you, AND the snake confidence at the same time.

best regards, ~Doug

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

Nice MBK, Doug.

n/p
-----
"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"