Reptile & Amphibian Forums

there is a black mexican king snake at a local pet store that has cought my interest. the problem is, that this is a verry agressive snake that regulalry bites the staff at the pet store. Its been at the store for good 6 months, they tell me it is about 8 months old, and feeds agressivly.

the last time I was in there, a girl had it stuck on her hand for good 40 minutes befor it let go. it had started trying to swallow her index finger. The snake has also been mistreated by the pet store. they where submerging the snake in ice cold water to try and get it too let go of the girl.

is there any chance of taming a snake like this? or is it a lost cause.

I assume the king is a getula. Many baby getula (MBKs are Lampropeltis getula nigrita) are rather aggressive. As an adult, the snake will probably be much more trustworthy.

BTW, and this is information for you.. and I'm not sure if you meant to post here or not, but assuming you did.. Mexican black kingsnakes are not part of the "Mexicana" kingsnake complex, which is the actual subject of this forum. The better common name for the snake you refer to is a Mexican Black kingsnake, and better yet, use the latin name "nigrita."

PS - get the snake if you want it. Nigrita make nice pets.

I have a Mexican black that is about 8mos old and also has a strong feeding response. He even tried to eat his water bowl the other day. I asked these questions already and gathered from the responses that this will most likely continue. If it is agression stemming from fear it should subside with handling, but if it a feeding response it might not. This particular one does not sound like a good pet. They are inexpensive and you should be seeing more of them offered in the classified over the next few months so I would wait.

BTW, using cold water is not abuse. This is one of the methods to get the snake to let go. I just run some cold water on mine and he lets go, regroups and tries another finger (lol). I wasn't there to see how gentle they were in doing so, but the water alone would be considered abuse.

Generally most kings will calm down with age to become docile.

If you are looking for MBK for breeding purposes and little handling except for cleaning and feeding, then this MBK would be ideal since you state it feeds very well and it would be definate plus if the MBK calmed down as it got older.
On the other hand, if you're looking for pet kingsnake to be handled alot, I would pass on this one. It's kingsnake breeding season and very soon there will be lots of 2005 kingsnake babies available in all varieties. Looking into a local herp show in your area this summer or fall, where you'll get a chance to see this babies and buy from a reputable breeder.
I had a MBK baby, that was 1 or 2 months old I later traded, and he was as calm and easily handled. Your patience will pay off with a much more accilmated MBK or baby king if your willing to wait a little while longer.
Good Luck,
Uncloudy

I agree with your first sentence, but do you feel a snake will outgrow it's feeding response? I can understand if the animal is defensively agressive, but I can only see a feeding response strengthening as you keep feeding it. I would like to believe you b/c my Mex Blk has the strongest response I've ever seen. I don't necessarily need to handle him, but it makes cage maintenance more of a hassle.

they wernt running water over himm,they where submerging him in one of the cold water fish tanks. it must have been under water for at least ten minutes. I cant see that being to healthy for the snake.

any of you guys know how long kingsnake can hold its breath? id rather not find out.

I bet he is a strong healthy snake. I would much prefer the fiesty pet shop snake over the droopy just sit there type that does not appear very alert. You have to think of how YOU could make the snake feel more comfortable. Maybe it would prefer a better or numerous hide spots, or actually may want eat a lot more than they're feeding it. It is also possible that the snake is teased by people banging on the glass to piss him off. Pet shop snakes are usually not cared for very well,......it is not exactly the best atmosphere for a snake. It only takes a few seconds to put a pair of gloves on....and it may also be dramatically calmer if lifted out of its cage with a snake hook. If you like the snake, buy it. It may turn around and become a great pet. Sounds like you'd be doing the snake a favor by getting him out of there. I love mine, and can tell you they're great snakes to breed too. Very easy to work with. A snake that will hold onto someone biting them for a long time sounds hungry to me, not a defense....but a feeding response... Tom Stevens
ps. it is good to see your concern for the snake, but snakes can hold thier breath for a ridiculously long time, I have seen them get spooked while in thier water bowl and submerge thier heads willingly and stay under water for several minutes