Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, I know that with most snakes like corns, hatchlings are a bit snappy. But as they grow up, they lose their fear of humans and become more docile. Either they get more docile or just stay the same.

Well, I've owned my eastern king snake for about a year now, and so far she's gotten considerably worse. She's not afraid of me really, as she follows my hand around when there's food nearby, but at other times she will actually lift her head a foot off the ground and leap straight up in an attempt to bite my hand. I'm the only one who ever handled her before, and I know how to handle snakes so I'm gentle. I don't mind so much that she's aggressive, but has anyone else ever had a snake that got more aggressive while in captivity?

crocacutus

I would suggest feeding her more. The only time I've had an normally easy to handle snake act that way was a rescue that wasn't being fed enough. Once I upped his feedings, he became a total sweetie to handle.
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1.0.0 Mexican Kingsnake, Vincent Price
1.0.0 277 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris Karloff
1.0.0 Crockett Graybanded Kingsnake, Julien Sands
2.0.0 Ball Pythons, Pete (Peter Cushing) and Frank Langella
1.0.0 Pastel Ball Python, Claude Raines
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1.0.0 Sweet Rosy Bourke Parakeet, Didgeridoo
0.1.0 Smart & Loving Teenager
1.0.0 Old rat, Hugo

As the previous poster suggested, it sounds like you need to feed it more often, and/or larger meals. I own lots of different types of kings of the getula complex, and I will tell you that they are absolutely VORACIOUS feeders, and must be kept fed well enough to avoid them wanting to eat anything that moves, and even things that DON'T move.

This is a must!. And I think after you do this, you will find the Eastern will have a much improved change of behavior.

~Doug

what happens when you hold a king after cleaning other snake cages, and forget to wash before handling the kings..

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

DMong those are some great-looking snakes!

I feed her two hopper mice every week, she's about 3 feet long now. I will try and feed her more, but I'll have to spread the feedings out. I'm not sure she can eat 3 mice in one sitting.

I have noticed that she gets quite active towards the second half of the week, nose-rubbing and such. Maybe this means she is hungry.

Thanks for the help,
crocacutus

As was said, feed her more. I would likely go with grown mice or baby rats for a three foot king. I wouldn't jump to two bigger mice...just try one bigger mouse and see how it goes. If she is looking again the next day try two. This time of year is prime growth time so she is hungry. They get cranky when they are hungry.

>>DMong those are some great-looking snakes!
>>
>>I feed her two hopper mice every week, she's about 3 feet long now. I will try and feed her more, but I'll have to spread the feedings out. I'm not sure she can eat 3 mice in one sitting.
>>
>>I have noticed that she gets quite active towards the second half of the week, nose-rubbing and such. Maybe this means she is hungry.
>>
>>Thanks for the help,
>>crocacutus
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Thank you!

yes, no doubt the snake needs more "munchables"..LOL!

the meals should be large enough to make a very noticeable bulge in their mid-section, and their metabolism is like none other, especially in warmer conditions.

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

This time of year, I feed 3 hopper mice a week (not in one feeding) to a Pueblan milksnake that is not nearly as robust as your Eastern king, and she eats them up like candy.

Your snake is hungry, especially at this time in its life when it is growing. Forget the caresheets, listen to the snake.
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Mark

I agree totally there!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I've got some 3 footish floridas that are on adult mice, and one that's edging to 4' that's on small rats or very big mice. I feed 1-2 prey animals 1-2x/week right now...
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

a lot of good advice here. Until your snake is adult size you should feed it as much as possible. Every bowel movement should be a cue to feed, and if she is still looking for food give her more. This will affect her temperment. Another thing to consider is how you feed your snake. As a rule I remove my snakes from their cage to a holding container, then place the food item in the cage and return the snake. The reason for this is that the snake does not associate the opening of the cage or the human hand with feeding. What your seeing is not agression, but a pavlovian response.

Thanks, I've always fed her in her terrarium, which probably is not such a good idea; now that you mention it her attempts to bite do seem more like feeding responses than defense.

crocacutus

Feedign in a seperate tank isn't really all that great IME. I prefer to just feed in the regular tank; no handling of the snake while mice are thawing and it is in feeding mode, no handling of it soon after it eats and is more likely to regurge...
the way to avoid feeding responses upon opening the tank are twofold:
Don't keep it always hungry
open the cage lots more frequently than feeding--I open most of mine on any given day.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

all great suggestions so far, but i'll toss in my 2 cents- every king/milk i've ever met is a total spazz when it is young. they either want to eat your fingers or think that your fingers are going to eat them. even the best, most often-handled king and milk juvies are squirmy when handled. then, at some magic point around 1.5-2 years, the well-handled ones (and even some never-handled ones) just chill right out. they stop biting, pooping, fleeing, squirming, and they become some of the coolest pet snakes in the world.
so i would just add patience to your short list of suggestions to chill out your king. have fun!

-jo

I am now feeding her two adult mice/week. She does not bite me much any more but is still skittish, of course that can be expected from any young snake.

Thanks for the help!

crocacutus