Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I used to feed my kingsnake f/t but then i switched to live for better prices and ease. Now i would like to switch to f/t but he wont take em. Any suggestions?

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My herps:0.0.1 savannah monitor 1.3leopard geckos,1.0.1 green iguanas, 0.0.3 chinese water dragons,0.0.1 gray banded kingsnake 0.1 snow corn snake 0.0.1 egyptian toad,and 0.0.1 firebelly toad,0.0.2 green tree frogs

Switch him first to fresh pre-killed. once he is comfortable taking those,try the switch to frozen/thawed.

Put a hide box in his cage at feeding time. Put a fresh thumped mouse in the hide box with a f/t mouse. I bet he will eat both. Next time just put a f/t in the box.

Also, try this after he has shed and has gone without for awhile.

And also you should be able to get him on f/t straight out of brumation.

Let us know how it works.

Kerby...

It's best to go back to live feeding - even if not convenient. No snake takes carrion in the wild; please don't force your Hunter to become a Scavanger. It's totally against his nature.

Also, if you own a Gray Banded Kingsnake, be advised that you have a *specialty* animal. (I'm sorry if nobody told you this.) They do NOT take House Mice in the wild; they eat primarilly lizards & snakes. They are even more of reptile eaters than normal Kingsnakes. If you do not choose to feed them their proper prey, please give it to someone who will.

Feeding a non-rodent eater rodents is like feeding children burgers, fries & carbonated sugar water. Best to feed them their proper diet.

There is a reason why it is no longer eating the frozen food. Listen to what it is indicating...

(Not being mean, just candid.)

**It's best to go back to live feeding - even if not convenient. No snake takes carrion in the wild;**

I agree with the live feeding BUT you are wrong on snakes won't eat carrion - because they do and THAT IS A FACT, not an opinion. It's been documented numerous times. It may not be common, but it does happen. It even happened to me last month in my mouse room. I had a plastic garbage bag with used rodent bedding and a few dead mice. I found a Cal King in the bag with a huge bulge in him. Obviously ate one of the dead mice that had been in there for a few days.

**Also, if you own a Gray Banded Kingsnake, be advised that you have a *specialty* animal. (I'm sorry if nobody told you this.) They do NOT take House Mice in the wild; they eat primarilly lizards & snakes.**

LOL, totally not true. Although they may be primarily lizard eaters, they also eat mice in the wild, and THAT IS A FACT as well. Primarily snake eaters - not!

A lot of snakes in the wild may have a main diet of lizards, but Graybands and Mt. Kings in the wild also take rodents. Please show me studies that show that feeding rodents to Graybands is harmful.........

**Feeding a non-rodent eater rodents is like feeding children burgers, fries & carbonated sugar water. Best to feed them their proper diet.**

As stated above, Graybands DO EAT RODENTS IN THE WILD

**There is a reason why it is no longer eating the frozen food. Listen to what it is indicating...**

No problem with feeding live (rodents that is LOL), I agree with you there

**(Not being mean, just candid.)**

Same here

Kerby...

Snakes do eat carion.

I once found a cal king prying a flattened dried lizard from the middle of the road.

Paul B

When considering what a certain animal eats in the wild, one thing must be considered. All animals are opportunistic feeders, and all animals have individual behavior. Some of my snakes attempt to consume my fingers without any coaxing from me. I have to ask, do you base your own diet on the same criteria?
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Martin Whalin
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