Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I caught a scarlet king snake this sunday. any care tips I have lots of experience with rat snakes, pythons, and terrestrials like rough earth snake,browns and ring necks. I just need some help to switch it over to pinks if I can't thers always ground skinks any suggestions? by the way this is my first king ive seen in the wild it is a breath takeing animal i will post a pic asap.

thanks
David "snookie" Busch

Hi,

They really are beautiful little snakes. Do not handle it for between 1-3 weeks. Keep it in a warm, dry, dark setup with fresh water to drink, and lots of hiding spots. Disturb it as little as possible. Eventually, place a f/t pinky underneath a rock in the snakes cage, without touching or bothering the snake, and leave it in overnight, or maybe even for two nights. You may need to try a few times. Mine did not require scenting. Once it eats it's first pinky, it will hardly be a problem feeder again, based on my experiences.
Keep me updated.

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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.0 Mediterranean gecko
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
1.1 Eastern ribbon snakes
1.1red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
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1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
0.1 fire salamander
1.0 scarlet kingsnake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
0.0.3 southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
0.0.2 rough earth snakes
2 (all of them are female!) Brahminy blind snakes

Dave, I understand you are new to SK, so keep this in mind...

Not all scarlet kings will take mice. Less than 1 out of 10(imagine that) WC scarlet kings will take mice without scenting or tricking of some sort. With a WC SK, someone's best bet to getting it to feed, are lizards. Mice aren't even in the picture.

Mike
Michael's Place

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Michael's Place has updated better caresheets
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

Go with the ground skinks at first. Get it on a schedule of one or two a feeding, and one or two feedings a week, if it can handle it. Once it is on a schedule and has eaten like 10 skinks, try offering it a pinky with a ground skink tail in it's mouth. There are plenty of other tricks or tips, Crimsonking could probably give you some.

Mike
Michael's Place

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Michael's Place has updated better caresheets
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

I would try a pinkie first you might get lucky. I have a pair I've had for years. The larger female takes pinkies, fuzzies or any lizard. My male will starve rather than eat a mouse. Skinks are the best for scenting they love the flavor. Buddy.

Do you find females bigger than males as adults or no difference?

My female is a little longer and fatter than my male.
I don't know if it is an individual difference or gender related.

A few things....
First, let's make sure you do indeed have a scarlet king and not a scarlet snake. (Pics would help there)
I don't doubt your i.d., but some smaller ones are difficult to get right at times to some.
If it seems large enough for a pinky, then I'd try one for sure. If it takes one, you're in luck. If not, then a simple way to get him on them is to use the scent from a skink (as in ground up tail) rubbed on the pink.
There are other "tricks" but don't let him get too stressed or wait too long before he has had a meal, even if you have to give him a live skink or two at first.
You can contact me for more if you'd like.
Good luck!
:Mark

I notice everyone uses skinks for feeding hard to feed scarlet kings. I was curious could the easier to catch anoles be used to would they take them like skinks?

Usually the only times a scarlet kingsnake will leave the ground, would be to go into rotting tree stumps. If you were a baby scarlet kingsnake, where would you go? Under a board where it is nice and moist, or up into a tree? What prey items do you think are under the board, more skinks, or more anoles? Skinks.

The majority of scarlet kingsnake babies will willingly take ground skinks, while there are alot of them out there that refuse anoles. The ground skinks are smooth scaled and go down easier, so maybe to the scarlet king it's just a personal preference.

Mike
Michael's Place

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Michael's Place has updated better caresheets
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

Okay I thought a small lizard was a small lizard and a scarlet would just as easily take either if fed in captivity.

Actually I DO try anoles first since the browns are everywhere here. I often breed them so I'll have hatchlings for my baby scarlet kings. Or it's easy enough to get them at night as they sleep on leaves of low bushes. Anyway, skinks are an overall great feeder that SKs from every part of their range will take.
Go with what's easy first!
:Mark

Do you see your scarlet much or big hider? I have a 15 gallon long that I wanted to use for a small great looking snake and a scarlet is just that but I wanted something that "explores" so not sure if a scarlet meets that criteria.
Fleck

Sorry for not answering... My scarlet kings are out usually during the late afternoon and evening, sometimes during the day. They are secretive snakes and easily stressed. I have noticed that over time they are out more often.
:Mark