I rescued an adult gray banded kingsnake last year from my local animal control. the story of this snake is mixed up, i know that it either was on display in an apartment or was someones pet and got out. anyway it got loose and animal control was called to find it because the building was being condemne it. the original owners did not come to get it so i was called and here i am. well i have had her (?) almost two years now and would like to get a mate for her. Well my questions are numerouse so i will start simple. Is it normal for them to hibernate on their own, last winter she hibernated by herself, it was the first winter i had her and did not intend to hibernate but when she refused to eat two baby garter snakes and many mice and rats i knew something was up. well she "woke" up in early sprind and was ready to eat and has been fine since except her attitude has gotten a bit rude, she likes to hiss at me now, is that normal? Also she used to eat small rats but now will not eat them unless they are scented like mice, so now shes on a strict mouse diet. my main question is how do you know the difference between males and females, i am capable of sexing her myself with a probe but would like some guidence if its necesarry. I really love my snake, she has been a great companion any help would be greatly appreciated.
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>I rescued an adult gray banded kingsnake last year from my >local animal control. the story of this snake is mixed up, i >know that it either was on display in an apartment or was >someones pet and got out. anyway it got loose and animal >control was called to find it because the building was being >condemne it. the original owners did not come to get it so i >was called and here i am. well i have had her (?) almost two >years now and would like to get a mate for her. Well my >questions are numerouse so i will start simple. Is it normal >for them to hibernate on their own, last winter she hibernated >by herself, it was the first winter i had her and did not >intend to hibernate but when she refused to eat two baby >garter snakes and many mice and rats i knew something was up.
Yes, it is perfectly normal for kingsnakes to slow down and sometimes stop eating completely in the fall.
>well she "woke" up in early sprind and was ready to eat and >has been fine since except her attitude has gotten a bit rude, >she likes to hiss at me now, is that normal? Also she used to
She sould have a bad attitude. I personally don't have any alterna that hiss or strike, but I have seen it. Make sure she has plenty of tight hides to make her feel secure. Remember they live in the cracks of rock cliffs in the wild.
>eat small rats but now will not eat them unless they are >scented like mice, so now shes on a strict mouse diet. my main
An all mouse diet is perfectly fine. Actually, if it is a female and you plan to breed it, mice are better than rat pups because their bones have calcified and provide the snake with a better source of calcium.
>question is how do you know the difference between males and >females, i am capable of sexing her myself with a probe but >would like some guidence if its necesarry. I really love my
The male will probe to a depth of more than 7 subcaudals. Females less than 4.
>snake, she has been a great companion any help would be >greatly appreciated.
