Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do any of you or know anyone who feeds other snakes intentionally to their kings?

I fed a couple of house snakes that died to my kings...they just never fed all that well, and eventually just died. I can see once I get them breeding feeding any juvies that die to my kings, particularly any reluctant feeders (wait...these are getula, nevermind).

I fed a copperhead that wouldn't eat to one of my Eastern kings, years ago!

Scott

Cool pictures, splendida.

I've also fed snakes to my kings that I caught or got tired of. I haven't brought home any as feeders in a long time because they often transmit mites to my snakes.

Thanks Bro!

Scott

How about baby pythons. The reason is I'm breeding my ball pythons for the first time this year and if I have any still born or non-feeders that will die anyway, can I feed them to my King without any issues?

Mainly fresh roadkills, or non-feeders of other species. I sometimes have to start hatchling kings feeding on snakes before I can switch them to mice.

In other words, hatchlings who developed full term but died in shell. Dead baby Pines and Bulls are quite large meals, and both of my Oregon Cals get a special treat once a year if this happens. When I was was working with Western Hognoses, I found that they enjoyed stillborn snakes as well.

Bart

How about baby pythons. The reason is I'm breeding my ball pythons for the first time this year and if I have any still born or non-feeders that will die anyway, can I feed them to my King without any issues?

I don't see why not.

I don't know about baby still born Ball Pythons. They may be to different from colubrids and still carry something that is harmful to a North American colubrid.even from stillborn babies.. I have no experience or data from this assumption. Just the first thing that popped into my head.
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I know a guy in Md that used to swear by it. Chuck "the snake man" is quite a relic. He used to collect commercially back when it was legal and he knows more about east coast colubrids than anyone I ever met. He kept some kings but his pride and joy were his coastal plains milks. Living in his parents basement he didnt have many live mice colonies(smell) or even frozen($$). He used to go dig bottles and hunt milks. He fed his captives all kinds of wc stuff, snakes and lizards. I used to remark at the size of his kings, many at or over 6'. I asked him how he got em so big, he said he fed them racers! Black racers are very common, and not only compete with milks in the same habitat but wont hesitate in eating one. Cutting down the competition Chuck would remove the racers(fed to kings) and the milksnake population would increase. Now we know 6' is a nice big king, but in his freezer he showed me one that he claimed to be 8'....frozen in a ball bigger than a basketball. Now I didnt thaw it, but it was considerably bigger than the 6'ers. Feeding snakes other snakes is the most economical use of the snake's gut and I'm sure a 5' racer kept the king's feeding pretty aggressive...a must for growing a really big snake.