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I have an unknown aged caliking. He/she (sex also unknown at this time) is about 4.5ft long which from what I've been reading is kind of big but I don't know. I feed it one adult mouse a week (FT)

What I am wondering is is that amount of food enough? It eats it np in fact when I bring it to him/her he attacks it like a starving hound, but from what I read the eat anythingeagerly.

Second question is, he/she is currently on sand, yes I know it is bad or is it? I want to switch it to a calsand and some wood type. Any suggestions?

Uuuuggg Whut?

Yeah that was a little messy.

I have a 4.5ft caliking. I feed it 1 adult mouse a week does that seem like enough? It always attacks the mouse like its last meal, I use frozen and play with it.

Is calsand an ok substrate? I am thinking of doing a half sand half wood bedding tank.

1 mouse a week seems to be a popular schedule, others will tell you more(feed after the previous meal has been digested).

Calcisand real doesn't do much for snakes, it would essentially be just really expensive playground sand. And I personally don't think they do well on on a loose substrate like 3-4 inches of sand. Some substrate that holds a tunnel/burrow better would be better.

You can try a wood/sand mix, but let me tell you from experience.........the sand grains will just sift though the larger wood bits and you would essentially have a 2-layer substrate with sand on the bottom and wood on the top, not mixed like you'd hope. And it really wasn't attractive at all when I tried it.......it looked like snow that had just fallen on mulch.

Many people will suggest something like aspen which seems to be a great substrate as far as maintenance and function. Eco-Earth mixed with some clay if what I like best.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

That's much better!!

Most Cal kings are agressive feeders, so that does not concern me too much. A 4.5' Cal King can take down much more than 1 mouse a week, but if he has good body mass and does not begin losing weight then your all good.

CalciSand is a very poor choice for your snake (and most other reptiles as well) for several reasons.. I would suggest newspaper, but it seems like your looking for somthing more natural looking, so I would stick with aspen bedding.

Good Luck!

~ Mike Russo

I don't think one mouse is enough for a weekly feeding of a 4-1/2 foot king. I'd either feed it more frequently or give it 2-3 mice per feeding. Even well-fed kings can have very strong feeding responses.

I don't think the sand-type substrates are the best substrates for snakes. Some sort of bark chip bedding would be better than sand.

Tim

Third Eye

I don't want to see like a complete idiot so I'll try.

I kind of got thrown into this with little research done before the snake came into my house most has been done in the last month or so.

When it comes to feeding I've read both feed inside its habitat or take it out and put it in another spot.

We've been feeding him in its tank, i'm reluctant to feed it outside because I read to not handle them after they have eaten.

It is eating frozen mice but the pet store I go to keeps telling me to feed live, I have no problem seeing the mouse die but the rest of the family does, any suggestiongs or just go with if it isn't broke dont fix it.

Any suggestions from you long time experienced people would be great.

Again, many people will tell you to feed in a different enclosure while others will say it's pointless or unnecessary.

I only see merit in it if the snake is kept on some loose substrate like sand or crushed walnut shells.............which further perpetuates why these substrates aren't ideal.

People argue that the snake associates hands coming into the enclosure with food if it is fed in its enclosure. However, if you pick up the snake and move it, then feed it, then you are associating handling with food...........and then you have to move(handle) the snake back into its original enclosure again.

Snakes are smarter than you'd think. They can realize when it's feeding time and when it's not, simply by your actions when interacting with them.........................well, most of the time.
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

I agree it makes no sense to me to move the snaketo another container,What I dont understand is why anyone has to put their hand in the tank/tub to put the mouse in,Just drop in in and get out.Kingsnakes follow smell and movement.Your hand is moving and they smell the FT mouse so your gonna get nailed sometimes.
Drop it in and shut the lid.End of story
Milks and corns are different they will eat from your hand

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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

One mouse per week should be fine but make sure its a big mouse.Four and a half feet long? our sure thats not a eatern king?((photo?)
Sand? Have you ever dropped a hotdog while at the beach?
Did you eat it with the sand on it?
I use newspaper cause it cheap and easy to replace.My snakes like the new york times as we are all left wing democrats here.The new york post is not allowed to contact my snakes

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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

The skin from the last shed is over 4.5ft long accounting for stretching and what not. It's in shed right now or I'd go measure it again.

It's a 50/50. I don't kno how to post pics on here so if you want to tell me how please do.

Not sure if it's a male or female yet either. My vet friend is gonna prob it for us soon as it warms up a bit so we don't freeze it going outside.

As far as your pet shop urging you to feed live, it might seem that either they make more money selling live rodents than dead ones (which in many cases is true) or they just have that idea stuck in their head, either way they make more money and keep you coming in the store more selling you live mice, so feed it dead its better for the snake because the cell walls are already broken due to freezing, facilitating easier digestion and you can buy more at at time and save gas.

I keep my kings on cypress mulch and only take my very small ones out to feed them in a separate container until they are larger to eat in their cages. My kings love to make holes in the mulch, it looks nice, and its only 2-3$ for a 2 cubic foot bag at the local warehouse hardware store. Its also just as easy to clean as aspen, and its a darker color, which appeals to my eye a lot more. For hid spaces, I use 6" azalea pots that I knock an opening out of, and they seem to feel quite safe and they can easily shed on the clay opening.

I feed my 4' Cali's 2 mice every 2 weeks, now from reading what other people have posted so far on here, I should be shut down for cruelty. However, my snakes are fat, and when I hold them they are solid and I can't feel any bone if I tried. However, when I want to bring them into breeding shape or just after breeding, I feed more often and more mice. I have seen many Corn snakes with fat blobs on them from over feeding, so I watch my snakes carefully. I also feed them retired breeder mice from my local mouse breeder down the street which are usually larger and have a lot to them. My Gray bands however, will only eat one mouse a feeding period, when they have eaten more, they have regurgitated it. So basically I watch my snakes behaviors- and your snake definitely seems like its HUNGRY for more, so feed it. If yours eats 3 mice a feeding great, but just watch its bulk also. The point is, don't just rely on schedules, let the snake tell you by its health and behavior when it wants to be fed.

Hope this helps, and enjoy your Cali, you got a great snake to start off with!

I attached a pic of one of my Cal Kingsnake 20gal long habitats with cypress mulch, though I realize now it looks kinda messy but the female Coastal Cal that lives in it, is very fat, healthy and seems to have a low stress level due to her calm movements.

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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major