I need help with some of my cali kings, the males seem to be losing muscle tone, the females are fine. I rotate the males through 3-9 females (depending on the breeding group)could they be over bred? they have fresh water all the time feeding on ft large mice, i don't think husbandry is the problem, i could be wrong though.
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low muscle tone in California king snake
theyrcoming
Aug 28, 2011 01:33 PM
Replies (5)
DMong
Aug 28, 2011 02:42 PM
Are the males getting fat and dumpy?, or are they fairly lean and soft?, or what?. If the males are on the leaner side, are fed more moderately and have a substantially-sized enclosure to move around in, this isn't usually a real issue. But this isn't always the case with many captives because they are maintained differently by everyone.
This will probably open the door for a huge argumentative and insulting thread as it usually does here, but nonetheless, snakes are individuals and there are many different variables as to how they are kept.
~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing" 
theyrcoming
Aug 28, 2011 02:50 PM
most are lean, a couple are a little on the heavy side, they are kept in racks, the bins are for the most part lengthxwidth= the length of the snake or more.
if i kept breeding them will they be ok or should i give them next season off?
DMong
Aug 28, 2011 03:07 PM
They should be just fine for breeding next year, and any year for that matter, and multiple times at that. Usually it is more about getting a bit thin from not wanting to eat during the breeding season that is far more common to see.
~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"
pyromaniac
Aug 28, 2011 05:48 PM
A way to provide exercise opportunities for snakes is give them deep aspen, like at least four inches of shredded aspen. They will burrow in the substrate and this helps them maintain muscle tone. Another thing that will help them exercise is a Retes stack, which they can climb around in. If they just lay around in a tub with little to do they will get soft, like snake couch potatoes.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.
DISCERN
Aug 28, 2011 08:38 PM
Good thoughts there!!!
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Genesis 1:1
