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I got a kingsnake yesturday from a guy who had it for at least 2 weeks, been feeding it mouse hoppers easily. He said it was a bit flighty but other wise a nice animal. It does not look thin, but def a sub adult. It is very easy to handle. However when we took it out of the cloth draw string bag, its toung was hanging out, and unable to pull it back in. I gently opened its mouth and the toung seemed to have been stretched, as if the snake had been trying to get out of the bag and its toung had some how gotten snagged on something and in the snakes desire to try to get out, it just stretched its toung. Last night, it was still stretched but could move it a bit. I gently put the toung back in its mouth and the snake seems fine and still trying to look around for any gaps in the lid. I am planning to leave the snake alone for a few days, and hope its toung just un swells perhaps- if that is the problem. Any thoughts?
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That's a new wrinkle to me. Not good...but try not to despair, snakes can be pretty resilient. I think it important that the apparently traumatized tongue not be allowed to dry out. I would think of creating a very humid area for awhile...

I heard about a L. zonata some guy rescued from an incompetent keeper that had no tongue, and it apparently did OK after a rough start. Let us know how this turns out, finding food etc. may be complicated without a tongue. Good luck to you and your kingsnake, Vic

This reminds me of the time I closed a hatchling snake's tongue in between the lid of a deli cup and the deli cup itself. I didn't realize I had done this until two days later. The snakles tongue had dried out and he couldn't pull it back in. I misted the tongue w/ water and kept him in a damp deli cup on paper towels and eventually (a day or so) the snake reclaimed its tongue without issue. Good luck.
Russ

That is very reassuring. My vet said that since there was no blood or wound trauma, and that I put the tong back in its mouth, and it has not come out again since, it might be ok. He said not to feed it or mess with it for a bit. I came home today and found that the snake had gone into its shelter I provided, finally, since it was hanging out all yesterday and this morning when I went in and checked on it. It was trying to look for an escape, but the fact that it seems to have decided to settle down is a good sign. cross my fingers. It is very alert.
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1.1 Newton County Indiana Bulls
1.0 Texas Redish Bull
0.1 Kansas Yellow Bull
2.2 Red X Yellow Bull
1.0 Medicine Hat Alberta Canada Bull
0.1 South Carolina Northern Pine
1.2 Henderson County NC Black Rats
0.1 Gray Banded 'Blair's' King
1.2 Coastal Chocolate Cal Kings
1.0 Banded Desert Cal King
1.1 Speckled Kings, Harris County, TX
1.1 NC Eastern Chain Kings
1.2 Ball Pythons

Is it flicking its tongue? If not, than you should open the mouth every day to make sure that the tongue is not necrotic / infected. If it heals the snake should have no problems. If the snake looses its tongue many snakes with this injury stop eating because they can't smell their prey. I have seen a boa that had its tongue bitten off by a rat. It was perfectly healthy afterwards but didn't eat again for almost a year after assist feeding a few times.

let us know what happens