Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I figure it's time to share a little humility: Last saturday I found out just how strong a 75" Kingsnake is! LOL! I finally got careless for one tenth of a second last saturday with "Big John" (my 75" blotched x E. king) and paid for it! I was showing a friend how to give the f/t rat to Big John. As I reached into the cage with the rat I briefly looked at my friend to make sure he had a good view - At the same instant: WHAM!!! He struck hard, but missed the rat and had a tight hold of my little finger! He bit down even harder and started chewing and constricting his body tightly around my wrist and forearm - intent on killing my arm! Meanwhile the pain in the tip of my little finger was excrutiating to say the least. He was pulling on it and it felt like he was trying to rip it off! He still thought he was fighting a very large rat! OUCH!!! It took me and the assistance of another person almost 5 minutes to get him off! The results: three deep cuts on the top of the pinky and four more on the bottom with plenty of bleeding. . . This was my first experience with a non venemous that size (Been bit by a rattler before and spent four days in the hospital) But this (Kingsnake)incident hurt my finger a lot more! Lesson learned: As Bruce Lee once said: NEVER keep your eyes of your oponent!
BTW: As soon as I put Big John back in his cage he still had enough composure to eat his rat (after all that drama)!!!

I am an expert at everything - But I know so little and have so much to learn! - Carsten Zoldy

Zee

HA I thought he was a big snake. If he still eating pinkies or small fingers whatever you call em lol. Next time just smear Indigo turds on your hands seeing as Kings are terrified of Indigo's (as some in the other forum would have you believe)lol. Funny story Zee !

Keith
-----

I wouldn't be surprised if he'll eat frogs, birds, fish, salamanders, Keith Hillsons, etc. - not just rats and human fingers LOL!!! He's not that little! Current weight is around 2360 grams! (A little over 5 pounds).

By the way, he's lightened up quite a bit the last two sheds - his bands are almost white again. . . .Could it be the rat diet or larger cage that he's been in the last three months . . .who knows? He's definetely acting like he's quite happy. He should breed for me next year - he acts like he's only a few years old!

Zee

Yes, I have felt your pain. I have so many animals that I do not hold them each on a regular basis. The result is that they go freaking banana's whenever the cages are opened!

I do love it when they rush ove the edge of the enclosure, grab the rodent in midair (dangling by its tail), twirl and wrap, and then their bodies pass the "fulcrum" point and they topple to the deck!

- Peter

rodent meal, knowing that they don't have to fear their owner especially my large female Cal King - She has bitten herself, her water bowl, the edge of her cage (hasn't gotten me YET!). Every week she always acts like she's starving to death and hasn't eaten nothing in a year, LOL!

Hey Peter: I got your letter! Thanks! (I will try to call you tomorrow),

Zee

Zee, awesome.

Brad and I both can not wait to get our hands on those babies!

- Peter

A feeding response bite from a king that size would be pretty darn scary, atleast for me anyway. I've only had one or two small Kings in the past latch on to my finger, so I can only imagine what it must feel like from your huge brute.
Zee, it was good to meet you at the show. I ended up buying one of Howie Sherman's Okeetee Corns, a huge 03 male over 30 inchs. Good to see you have kids into herps. My daughters used to come with me to the shows, but I usually end up staying longer then they like, so they've wised up the last couple of times I've asked them about going, LOL
All in all not a bad show, but the number of venders & crowd size was a bit smaller this time.

Steve

Zee, did you go to the Richmond show? I almost went - my wife is from Richmond and we only live a couple of hours north.

- Peter

Hey Peter, yea it was the Richmond show. Met up and chatted with Zee during the earlier part of the show.

Steve

My MBK has done that to me but he aint 75",it hurt like hell! amazing how well they can lock-on. You know you got a good snake if he can go thru all that hassle and then chow down like nothing happened,lol.

i had a big brooks come flyin out today after i gave him a rat and i thought he would be occupied so i could do water bowl, NOPE he wanted another maybe hes stock piling oh well since he was half way out, airing out his teeth i gave him a new clean drawer for his efforts and only one rat! Chris getulas are still my fav!