Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My three foot wild caught Cal King is not a biter, but it is a thrasher. I handle it everyday really slow and gentle, but it freaks out sometimes anyway. Often it's trying to make a run for it or doesn't like it when I rinse musk off and touch it with a wet hand. I don't want to drop it but I don't want to grip it tight either, or let it twist badly on itself. I try to put it down quickly but gently and then pick it up again, but it has hit the floor with a flop once or twice. I know that's not good, I'm wondering how bad it is. I'm also curious how much more it's likely to tame down now that it's been handled almost daily for more than a month.

Mostly, a drop of 3-4 feet will not substantially harm them. It shakes them up, just like a stumble will for you, but they are hardy creatures which sometimes fall or tumble in the wild.

Too many times and they will be injured. A fall from too high and they will be injured.

Plan, in advance, on handling on carpeting, or on other soft surface. If the snake bolts and falls, help brake the fall with your hands or arms, even if you can't catch it all the way.

I have little experience with wild-caught specimens. A Gopher Snake was wild-caught months before I got him, and had lived terrorized in a cage with 2 other larger snakes, but after I got him and he got his own place, he was extremely mild-mannered and well behaved.

A wild snake will always retain the memory of FREEDOM, and freedom of choice. Keep this in mind EVERY time you have it outside exercising. Handle often, and it should tame somewhat, but never take your eye off of it if it's outside. (That's how I lost my cherished "Sagebrush", the Gopher. He's in the wild once again...)

(guessing.) It's great to get confirmation from someone with lots of experience. It figures that the snake likes to freak out when I'm in the kitcken or bathroom to rinse my hand(s,) over hard floors. If it quits musking and pooping on me we won't have any problem!

(That's how I lost my cherished "Sagebrush", the Gopher. He's in the wild once again...)

Last year our FL Kings gave us 6 babies. We kept one in a tank that the parents had been in until we bought their new digs...it had one tiny & I mean tiny hole where a clamp was missing in the top.

Our parents never gave us a problem but that baby excaped & made it out of our FL room. We were bummed. Prettiest snake of the batch too!

Later in the fall we were out in the yard & Mike looked down into a railroad tie that lines our flower beds & lookie what we find! It's her!!!! Months later!

Got her out, put her back in the big tank (same one she escaped from) & left her to settle. 2 days later she was gone again! Even after we discussed that she was too big to get through that hole AGAIN!

She must have thought we were STUPID & have been laughing her butt off at Mike & I....good grief.

She too is free again. We figured she deserved it after all that work.