Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I have an adult CA Kingsnake. He is about 4 1/2 feet. This evening I picked him up and within about three minutes he started going psycho. He began making jerky, fast movements--then he bit himself! Then he bit my finger and gnawed it for a minute--and then I quickly put him back in his tank. This is truly bizarre behavior. Anybody know what is going on? I fed him a mouse on Thursday of last week.

Thanks,

Alex

I fed him a mouse on Thursday of last week.

A mouse last week? One mouse per week....LOL! Dude he is starving!

At that size give him 3 mice and then again in 3-4 days.
-----
www.Bluerosy.com

>>A mouse last week? One mouse per week....LOL! Dude he is starving! At that size give him 3 mice and then again in 3-4 days.>>

I agree 100% FEED THAT SNAKE!!

~ Mike Russo

I agree. All of my Lampropeltis eat twice a week. These are fairly high metabolism snakes.

I am not like Bluerosy, I feed smaller food items. But I feed them almost everyday this time of year. That is, if I can remember to.

The actual point is temps. They metobolism is controlled by temps. Normally its under the individual snakes control(in nature and at some keepers places). In captivity, its often not under the snakes control and they are heated up(motor running fast) and only fed on a dumb schedule(once or twice a week)Keepers often miss feedings and do not care, so it goes several weeks. I did a critique of a zoo reptile department once(I was paid too, hahahahahaha) Going thru their feeding records, I found their feeding schedule was every other monday, and often the animals did not feed for anyone of many reasons, in shed, etc etc. So those animals commonly went a month or more without feeding, and this is in the summer. No wonder they had a poor longevity record and poor breeding record.

just a small comparison, I feed wild snakes(a few) one is a diamondback about two foot long. It comes from somewhere to a feeding station and feeds two or three times a week. Once it gets hotter out, it will come everynight. Consider, rattlesnakes are not know for having a high metobolism. I also feed coachwhips, they will feed heavily many many days in a row.

Remember, they come to me for food, I do not go to them. So its them hunting me down, which means they are hungry.

All in all, Thanks Bluerosy for remimding folks that they are "starving" their snakes, WHICH IS VERY COMMON at times. Cheers