Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there anything I can do??? She has done it before, but I could always get her off herself. I started feeding her more when it started and that seemed to help. But I just fed her 2 mice on wed. and tonight (sat) she swallowed her tail and body this time. I feel terrible, I'm sure she will be dead tomorrow. Does anyone know why she would do this? Heard of this before? I know they eat other snakes, but is it habit now that she should not have been hungry after eating a few days ago? Any help would be great or what I did wrong. She is about 10 years old, never bred, 20 gal. tank. Thanks, Denise

I have no idea. I think if it was me I would just get rid of it, especially if the problem doesn't go away. Did your snake go as far as this one?

Kinksnakes have fast metabolisms, and voracious appetites. Usually kingsnakes do this when in a feeding frenzy, they bite first, and then figure out later what it is they have grabbed(sometimes even themselves).

Even though you figure it ate two mice relatively recently, if the two mice were too small for the snake, and not often enough either, the snake will still be very hungry. It's sort of like you giving a big 300 pound man that has worked physically hard all day two small egg roles, that might do the trick for a 95 pound girl that did nothing but watch a soap opera on TV all day.

Without seeing the snake, and the size of the prey item, it's a little tuff to say for certain, but it sounds like you should probably feed it a little bigger prey.

I have some kings that seem to always be hungry, and they pretty much have to be fed on a conveyor belt!..LOL!

It should let go of itself afer a certain point, even if it swallows a good portion. If not, put a couple drops of hard liquor(alcohol)in its mouth, this should initiate a releasing response.

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

"It should let go of itself afer a certain point, even if it swallows a good portion. If not, put a couple drops of hard liquor(alcohol)in its mouth, this should initiate a releasing response."

Hm... so that's basically the opposite of the 'coyote ugly' situation... the liquor releases the poor snake from the situation, rather than the other way around.

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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
0.0.2 Cornsnakes (Lyle & Erik Menendez)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan) (Deceased )
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

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

Thanks for the replys. She released herself last night after I got offline. Today she is ok and I am going to feed her. I though maybe it was not enough food but didn't know for sure. The picture someone added was just a little worse than her last night. But I didn't know about the alcohol trick. Thanks again for all your help. Glad I was not the only one this has happen to.
Denise

I thought hard liqour is how a snake ended up in ..my bad. I forgot I wasn't supposed to tell any one about your camping trips or how you ended up with those free obks. Ooops I did it again. Ok let me shut up already.

SSSHHHH!,.,,,yes, hard liquor is ALWAYS the way to get a good favored response!...and yes, sometimes it even works on snakes too!..hahahaha!

Okay, now I will let you "shut-up"!..LOL!

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

What are the temps like inside the cage, Dezoo? Maybe it's too high and her metabolism is high because of it. Also I would breed her next year and collect the eggs...FAST! Feed her more or larger prey items.
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Todd Hughes