Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Pertaining to the feeding controversy. I feed this guy probably more than any other adult I have. Just measured him in at 4'7" so he grew lengthwise maybe 4-5 inches this year. Definately got girthier. Hopefully he's not fat but he sure isn't scrawny. He's the first snake I handled today and I haven't touched a rodent. He ate 3 big mice about 3 days ago. I haven't showered yet but hopefully this is not a factor. Anyway, I have a bad feeling about this....

Like clockwork.

It's not the bite itself, it's the pulling and twisting. I'd much rather take a hit from a 10' blue beauty (which I often do), than this powerhouse. I have a few other kings, including young ravenous easterns, but this never happens. This guy is awesome and just keeps growing, but he's not a snake I'd take to an educational seminar to introduce kids to handling snakes, no matter how much I just fed him. Is this snake possibly starving?
Maybe next season I'll try to feed him even more?

I imagine it is possible that the anabolic growth stimulators I mix in with his rodents is not the greatest of ideas.

First of all, that is a freaking awesome snake!! I love it!!!!

I believe you answered your own question.

You say you feed him more than any other adult? Well, that is why, IMO, he is chowing on you there. He is used to being fed more than any other adult. It is a response to being fed so much. A lot of times, that is misinterpreted as being starved. There could be nothing further from the truth. All my kings do nothing of the sort, be it graybands, cal kings, brooks, or Mtn. Kings. They are all completely calm and are fed well, but not excessively.

If he is being fed so often, he is probably associating the cage being opened with food, each and every time. He is not starving. To say he is starving, especially after looking at your pics, would be completely unjust.

Great snake, beautiful, and to me, a healthy weight. I really like him! Is he an axanthic??

Take care!

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Genesis 1:1

Yes, he's axanthic. Alot of what you say makes sense. I do believe he is conditioned to be in feeding mode when the lid opens. Thing is, I try to handle him alot w/o feeding. I upped his feeding maybe a year ago because this happened all the time. I figured, feed him more and maybe he'll stop trying to eat me. Also, this sneaky SOB will wait. I've had him out for 20 minutes and then all of a sudden w/o warning he's trying to chew and constict. I've owned quite a few kings and never had any like this guy. Maybe to much snake scent in the air? He's in a room w/ alot of other snakes. Maybe he's just unique. He's a beauty and when he doesn't bite really impressive to handle.

You may be right about him nailing you after being out for 20 minutes and then BAM! He may have smelled some snakes.

Great snake there my friend! Really amazing!
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Genesis 1:1

I had some Taiwan beauties a few years back. Their appetites remind me of floridana's. The first female I got as a young, somewhat underfed adult. Not so tame. In an effort to calm her down I would feed her alot while she was being handled. She got tame fast, but was a big mistake as she became prone to trying to eat me all the time. This particular king reminds me alot of her. Somehow, and I'm sure I have alot to do w/ it, this thing is programmed to eat, or not programmed not to eat, when out of his container. I will mention, none of this has affected his appetite while in his container. He never says no to food no matter where it is served up.

You may be right! Good thoughts!
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Genesis 1:1

>> "It's not the bite itself, it's the pulling and twisting. I'd much rather take a hit from a 10' blue beauty (which I often do), than this powerhouse"

** HAHAHAHA!!, that's exactly what I said too!..LOL!

the contorted twisting and tugging hurts BIG-TIME!

He looks great to me,....floridana and some other getula are just different, and in a league of there own when it comes to "grabbing" a snack, including fingers and hands once in a while, it's just the way some of them are genetically programed..LOL!

I admit though, the snake scent I had all over my hands from holding a bunch of others while cleaning cages, did NOT help much in my case last night..hahaha!!

I agree, don't think I would let little joey at a seminar hhold these guys by themselves either, unless you like law suites from pissed-off parents..LOL!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

It’s what we call an eating machine. Usually I would see mine point their face down and start “smelling” me just like it would do to a rat when finding the head, and that’s the clue that it was about to make a grab. Almost in slow motion. I think you can handle it in such a way that it knows you are not food, the way you are touching it, suspending it, etc. You haven’t created a great pet snake, but boy he looks like a great breeder. Very beautiful snake. You could probably work with him and get him to stop associating the interaction with you as total food association, but the snake probably could care less about you, no offense. Be happy he’s a great eater. Real stunner, actually.

>> " Usually I would see mine point their face down and start “smelling” me just like it would do to a rat when finding the head, and that’s the clue that it was about to make a grab. Almost in slow motion."

*** HAHAHA!!,..I couldn't have said it any more accurately myself,...that is EXACTLY what snakes do just before they take a sampling of your finger or soft part of the hand..LOL!

sniff-sniff,flick-flick..hmmm??, ah!,...crunch!....yum-yum!...LOL!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

I've been loving the feeding discussion. I'm trying to frequent feeding with the babies I got and seeing how it goes. I got *really* good results with frequent but relatively small feedings for reticulated pythons and boas raising them up healthy and large (my albino retic's hit 7' in 6 months and is one healthy looking critter). Had to cut down as adults. So I'm trying it with these too--several small prey animals (2-3 pinkies) per feed, feeding every 2-4 days depending on how the snakes are acting.

I just got a couple hatchling easterns and I'm going to try the exact same thing and see how it goes.

yeah most of the colubrids I've kept before were rescues, got as adults or subadults (except for some vine snakes). Petstores that went out of business, people that wanted to get rid of a corn or king they were tired of, stuff like that. The stuff I raised from babies before is pretty much all boids (and lizards) so this'll be fun.

the vine snakes were cool but a PITA too! Come to think of it they were imported subadults so I guess I didn't raise them from neonates either...

I forgot, I did raise 2 bullsnakes from babies That was fun, and good lord they ate all the time.

I meant I could have snake scent from yesterday lingering. I did wash my hands and forearms with soap and water before handling but...ultimately he's just always been unpredictable.

LOL!,...

In the first pic, it looks like he is sniffin' around and sizing you up,....and in the other pic,...well, uh, you already KNOW what he's doin' there..LOL!

Many years ago, I also had Macklot's Pythons too, and a big voracious 8 foot female put the munch-whammy on me, and MAN!,..the way she was tugging and twisting her jaws on the sensitive nerves on the top of my hand was EXCRUCIATING!!

It hurt FAR worse than a 14 ft over 100 lb. Burmese did when she went to eat my hand about 27 years ago, but that was because she didn't get twisting like the Macklot's did,....geeez did that HURT!.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

probably the worst herp bite I got was from a sav monitor I had for years. I got him in...95? And he died this year. Got about 3 anda half foot, and went to eat my left foot one time. Grabbed on and bit and tried to tear it apart.

Godawful bloody mess and it ruined my sock.

>> "and it ruined my sock"

** HAHAHAHA!!,..too funny!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

I posted before about the big indigo I had that chased me around the room thinking my tube socks were white rats. I seriously did not want that snake grabbing me, I swear that thing could easily take a toe right off! I have moves I did not know I had!

Picturing you jumpin' around the room in your Michael Jackson white socks dancin' around side-steppin' the Indigo is crackin' me the heck UP, bro!!..LOL!!

I would give anything for a video of that..HAHAHA!!

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

ok here's a question, was he always a biter like that or did it begin at a certain age?
Love Floridians I started a project recently and have 2.4 mixed morphs. Hoping I won't have 6 biting monsters in 2 years

This time of year they are EATTERS unless its already chilly, i i just packed a few adult and sub adults that thought it was feeding time, btw they seek out fingers ,not a large hand, lol a tail hold also works...its all hunger responce,C

When I picked him up he was around three feet and slender. He was an adventure from the beginning. I wouldn't worry, other florida and eastern's I've owned have all been great to handle, with an occasional mistaken identity here and there. Best not to smell like another snake.