Last week I got a baby cal king. When I moved him from his shipping box to his terrarium, he was frantic with fear-- rattling his tail and trying to bite me, just in the moment that I held him. I let him be in his cage for a couple of days without doing anything. Then I put some food in for him (which he didn't eat). When I come in the room he tenses up. If I step toward him (within a few feet of the tank) he rattles, his breathing gets really fast, and then he burrows away to hide. If he continues to have that reaction, is there going to be any way for me to start getting him used to me without seriously traumatizing him? I seriously think he'll be so upset if I pick him up that no good can come of it. What do I do? Has it been like this for anyone else who ultimately developed a good relationship with their snake?
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VERY scared baby
Replies (3)
you have a very common problem. when i got my 1st snake i was terrified, i was in high school and some guy at a pet store just handed me the snake in a little bag. now make sure your snake has a good hiding place, that's the first step in allowing your snake to get comfortable. now with handling, you should approach the snake very slowly if you start getting closer and s/he still appears nervous leave him/her alone. I've always have success using a long rod to get them out their enclosure and into my hand, for some reason most of the snakes i dealt with are much better when they are out their enclosure.
when you can finally get your snake put of his/her enclosure hand the snake as often as you can ... it is much easier to tame a young snake.
As far as feeding kings generally have "solid" appetites, if you've tried f/t with no success try live if that doesn't work, give the snake a little more time to settle in and try placing the snake and the food item in a small container for a few hours or over night.
as someone mentioned before, try using a snake hook, i just use a small paint roller without the roller piece on it..and my smallest of snakes and newest is very mean and scared like yours..hes a stripe cali king and when i go near him he burrows away and if i get him out he will rattle his tail on me, poop on me, and sometimes even try to bite! i just handle him more though until he starts to chill, when i first got him about 2 months ago he was evil, the more and more i handle him the better he gets, all im working on now is getting him to eat in a feeding bin without freaking out on anything that moves outside the bin(me) and when i go in there he is finally starting to let me pick him out with my hands which is good improvement
just give him another week or so to settle in without being handled, make sure the temps are good and he has a hide and im sure with some work his attitude will change for the better
