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3 questions

michiel1981 Nov 20, 2003 03:44 AM

1 I put my kingsnake in wintersleep but im a bit worried about his weight because i didnt really got to feed him a lot before putting him into it. Now can i just weight him once a week while i refresh his water at the same time? Or is this a bad thing to do during the wintersleep? i just want to be sure he is okay.
2 will 6-7 weeks be enough?
3 The pet store told me humidity isnt important with kingsnakes but keep the tank dry... now im reading other things on the forum and getting a bit confused, please an answer on humidity for cal king.

Thanks

Replies (10)

oldherper Nov 20, 2003 07:22 AM

The answers to these questions are somewhat subject to opinion, so the best anyone can do is offer you opinions based on experience.

1 I put my kingsnake in wintersleep but im a bit worried about his weight because i didnt really got to feed him a lot before putting him into it. Now can i just weight him once a week while i refresh his water at the same time? Or is this a bad thing to do during the wintersleep? i just want to be sure he is okay.

I see no reason to weigh your snake every week. As long as he was of a normal weight and not anorexic or severely underweight when you put him in brumation, there should be no problems. His metabolic rate will decrease to the point that he is using very little of his body reserves while in brumation, assuming that the temperatures are low enough (65 degrees F. or so). You are better off not to disturb the snake any more than is absolutely necessary during the brumation period. Make sure that clean, fresh water is available at all times.

2 will 6-7 weeks be enough?

I would consider 2 months a minimum brumation period for breeding purposes, not including the 2 weeks to decrease the temps and the week or so to bring him out of brumation.

3 The pet store told me humidity isnt important with kingsnakes but keep the tank dry... now im reading other things on the forum and getting a bit confused, please an answer on humidity for cal king.

You have to match humidity with the particular species. In other words, try to simulate the conditions that species would encounter in the wild. Cal Kings come from a rather dry situation in much of their range, so I would say that a lower humidity would be required and the snake probably would not do well in a high humidity environment. That's not to say you need to set up a desrt type environment for him, just don't make any special efforts to raise humidity unless you see that the humidity in the cage is too low. California Kingsnakes are pretty adaptable critters. I would think that 40% to 70% would be OK. One of the dangers of having humidity too low for snakes that are not adapted to desert environments is problems with shedding due to dehydration. Dehydration can also bring about a plethora of other serious health problems.

michiel1981 Nov 20, 2003 08:18 AM

will 6-7 weeks be enough?

I would consider 2 months a minimum brumation period for breeding purposes, not including the 2 weeks to decrease the temps and the week or so to bring him out of brumation.

not including the 2 weeks to decrease the temps

i kinda did that in 3 days..............

oldherper Nov 20, 2003 08:24 AM

Watch for signs of RI, and signs of bloating near the vent. Hopefully you made sure his gut was completely empty (no food for 3 weeks, minimum) before you did it. Snakes cannot properly digest food at brumation temperature and the food can begin to rot in the snake's gut.

michiel1981 Nov 20, 2003 09:37 AM

Well, dont worry about the food sir. The reason im putting him into burmation is because he is a bit of a problem feeder since i have him and he hasnt pooped for like 4 weeks, so im pretty sure hes all empty heh. Only during the shed a little bit of green poop with water came out when he was crawling out of his old skin.
And i have no idea what RI means

oldherper Nov 20, 2003 10:00 AM

Oh..sorry about that. RI is respiratory infection. Just watch for signs of wheezing, breathing with the mouth open and nasal discharge.

By the way, there's now a Glossary of Commonly Used Terms in the forum. Here's the link:

Glossary

michiel1981 Nov 20, 2003 10:49 AM

Ah he dont show any of those sings, but im not sure if its normal but right after the shed he had a bit of a darkblue glow.
My first snake and first shed btw.
And whoa a herp dictionary =)

michiel1981 Nov 20, 2003 10:51 AM

Well not my snakes first shed haha, but the first shed i have witnessed. And shed into 2 pieces. Actually 2 big pieces and 1 really tiny piece but that was becuase he had a little scar which is now gone =)

MartinWhalin1 Nov 21, 2003 04:12 AM

that complications from too high humidity will kill a snake much faster than complications from low humdity.
-----
Martin Whalin

"It is foolish to let singleness of purpose deprive one of the joy and delectation of the many wonderful sights and sounds incidental to the quest."
-Carl Kauffeld
My Email

oldherper Nov 21, 2003 06:15 AM

Well, if you are talking about a Kenyan Sand Boa, probably so. If you are talking about an Anaconda or Nerodia, probably not.

MartinWhalin1 Nov 22, 2003 12:05 AM

Good point. I should have specified kingsnake.
-----
Martin Whalin

"It is foolish to let singleness of purpose deprive one of the joy and delectation of the many wonderful sights and sounds incidental to the quest."
-Carl Kauffeld
My Email

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