Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dumb question..I have both a young corn, and a Young Desert King..both around 12 inches long. They are obviously kept in separate tanks in separate rooms, but is it a bad idea to hold them together at the same time? or will one go after the other? will it stress my corn out? seeing how the Kings usually eat other snakes? Im just corious..I will post this to the Kingsnake forum also..thanks, Pete

King snakes hunt by scent. The scent of your corn on your skin could provoke a feeding response. (I've been bitten by a king after holding a milk snake.)
If hungry, the king would certainly consider a corn in hand a nice opportunity.
In other words, it would be silly to try it.
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Jack Jeansonne

>>Dumb question..I have both a young corn, and a Young Desert King..both around 12 inches long. They are obviously kept in separate tanks in separate rooms, but is it a bad idea to hold them together at the same time? or will one go after the other? will it stress my corn out? seeing how the Kings usually eat other snakes? Im just corious..I will post this to the Kingsnake forum also..thanks, Pete

would you play with a mouse and a rat snake at the same time?
would you play with an alligator and a chicken at the same time?
king snakes are snake eaters, why tempt fate?
Handle one for a little while, wash your hands and handle the other for a little while.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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I think it's not the best idea to hold ANY two snakes at the same time - unless maybe you're catching them in the field and don't want one to get away.

Last week in the Santa Cruz Mountains:

Third Eye

speaking from experience, kings can and will smell the corn and it increases your chance of being bitten or having your corn injured. Plus, the corn will smell the king and the majority of them sense a preditor, so become skittish, want to get away. That is not always the case, otherwise jungle corns would never be made naturally.
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****Misty****

www.sneakyserpents.com

"Due to intense Mind fog, all thoughts have been grounded."

Corns that I hatch that absolutely refuse to eat after many, many attempts trying ever trick in the book usually get fed off to my king snakes. Most notably my desert kings which go absolutaly nuts over the chance to eat a corn. Do you really want to put a desert king and a corn together? I'm telling you from experience that the desert king will love you for it.