Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there some sort of trick to get snakes on a more frequent feeding schedule or is it just up to the individual snakes?

The lady that raised my two kings was feeding them one frozen pinkie every 6 days.

When I got them home and settled in, I fed them each a small pinkie 6 days past their last feeding and they ate. I tried feeding them 2 days after that and they didn't eat. I tried feeding them 4 days after and they didn't eat. I fed them last night (6 days after) and one ate and the other didn't.

These are small meals, they had no noticeable lump after 24 hours and have defecated. Temperatures are 76 on the low end and 84 on the hot end.

Is there some trick to getting smaller meals in these guys more frequently?

I tried putting the meals in their hides, also, with no success. I've only been able to get them to eat out of small cups in their cages overnight.

Thanks,
Rich

What kind of kings out of curiosity?

I've had success using a deli cup with moist sphagnum moss in it and a hole cut out of the lid for baby kingsnake hides. I put that over a narrow strip of heat (heat cable) as high as 88 deg. The baby snakes can move around in the moss to get really warm or not so warm. I would lay a thawed pink on top of the moss in the hole in the lid. Snakes would usually eat when I left the room or else overnight. This worked extremely well with Mtn Kings, thayeri, ruthveni, even graybands. Cal kings didn't care about the moss - they would eat anywhere anytime anyhow any size.

Baby snakes, especially the montane species if that is what you have, are sensitive to dehydration. Water in a bowl doesn't cut it if ambient conditions are too dry. Some substrates suck the moisture right out of baby snakes. Since you can't provide a nice burrow in soil where the animal in there retains its moisture balance easily, you might have to compensate. That is true where I live anyway. One method is a small cage with little ventilation and a full water bowl. In that case, the water bowl might be enough to keep the humidity in the right range, or at least prevent the snake from drying out. Just some stuff for you to consider. May not apply to your king species or your home conditions.
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Mark

Thanks Mark. Very detailed reply.

One of my kings is a L. g. floridana and the other was labeled as a floridana but others on here say that it has to be a cross between a floridana and a goini.

I live in the Nevada desert and we have low humidity. I'm not sure if these species need a certain amount of humidity to feed. The local breeder had them all on aspen pine in open top cages with a water bowl and no lights, so I assumed that they did not need much humidity.

My cages are set up a similar way with a hide on each end and the water bowl on the cool side.

I will try the deli cup hide and see if that works better, but I thought I would mention that my snakes have rarely used their current hides at all. Most of their day is spent burrowed in the bedding. They come out, seem very curious and maybe hungry, and a few minutes later dive back under the bedding.

I find them on both the hot and cold side of the tank throughout the day so I don't believe they are too hot or too cold and favoring one temperature.

Thanks,
Rich

Take into concideration growth (SHED TIME) a couple meals may be enough for a new skin ! dont worry most eatter are always eatters but then again its almost mid Oct. could be sleepy time

Thanks Christopher.

That brings up another question I had. These were supposedly hatched in July. The largest is just under 13". The smaller (goini) is about 11" and thin. Does that seem normal or were mine not fed enough and are having a slow growth rate?

Would it be wise to brumate them for the whole winter or keep the temps up and try to get some food in them?

What are the chances of winding up with snakes that starved over winter because they don't have enough fat on them?

Thanks,
Rich

100F on the hot end and if there is plenty of humid hiding places in all areas, they may feed everyday(watch bankbook drain quickly)

lol on the bankbook!

I have a Florida Kingsnake. I keep was damp towel over half of his cage and keep the temps warm on the warm end - 94. He is an absolute eating machine. Honestly, I had no idea how much a snake could eat! I have a California King, and he eats well, but nothing like my Florida!

That is one awesome King you have there. What a beast!
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Thanks! He was my first snake.
If I thought all snakes ate like him I never would have bought another lol!

Great looking king. Real nice. Some are eating machines that is true lol and some types are a big pain