>>I have never kept any kind of a snake before, and I have had a kingsnake (albino) for about 3 months now. It was a gift from my students and as far as they know it is about 4 months old. Here come the questions...
1. Is it bad that it likes to strike at me? I actually really like it, I just want to make sure it can't get hurt. It never strikes when I am holding it, just when I go to pick it up.
No, I too like a fiesty snake as long as he is ok in hand. They usually mellow with age which is good as you dont want to get bitten by an adult King.
2. Is it bad that its "aim" seems bad? I feel like it misses the target pretty often. Is that just because it is young?
Albino Kings seem to have poor eyesight. It may be that the pigment free eyes allow too much light in. Snakes dont see very well in general so when you take away what little they have it makes them a little fiesty as well.(*see above that he likes to strike at you lol)
3. Is it bad that the last inch of the tail is dry? It really seems like the snake is constantly about to shed (3 times in 3 months) and the tail is where the peeling starts and the last place to finish. It is like the tip of the tail is always shedding.
Sounds like you snake has some leftover skin on his tail. Its pretty common for the last 1" or so to remain on the tail after shed. This is usually the result of it being too dry. Soak the snake in some room temp water for 45min and see if you can peel some skin off the tail with your fingers. If the skin stays too long on there it can cause the tail to go necrotic and fall off so take care of this ASAP.
4. How do I tell the sex?
Take it too a Vet or an expirienced snake breeder or keeper for it to be probed.
5. How fast should it grow? I've read that it will reach 4-6 feet, but I don't know how long that will take. Do I have 5 years with a small snake?
You have a Cal King and they tend to saty medium sized so 3-4' would probably be more likely but 5' is not unheard of. For you snake to get to 3-4' on a once a week feeding will take 3 years. There are all kinds of factors that can change this such as genetics, how often feed and your temps. Expect you snake to reach close to 24"+ by this time next year.
6. I've noticed that if I pick up a kingsnake in the wild it has an intestine related defense which I don't particularly enjoy. Is my pet snake going to start this in the future?
They either do that or dont. If your snake at this point doesnt musk you then its likely he wont start.
Good Luck !
Keith
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