Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My snake is crazy! I just bought a 3 ft albino california kingsnake, and she's an absolute loon. They told me at the pet store that she was very nice, but I brought her home and all she's done is bite me and bite herself. She even bit herself before I bought her, I just wasn't sure what the mark was from. Now I know... she's constantly uptight, she speeds around her tank, she hates being handled, and she just spends all her time hiding. Does she just need time to acclamate, or do you think I should take her back? She isn't due to shed, and she has been eating, so what the hell is going on? My friend has diagnosed her as schizophrenic. This is looking highly probable. HELP ME!

your snake isn't crazy... her hyper behavior is due to a few of factors

#1: lack of handling
the snake was probably just fed and not handles enough so now she's nervous when she's in your hand.

#2: New surroundings
she's all over her enclosure because she's in a new place...

it is very possibly to tame an adult king... it will take much longer than taming a hatchling, but with time you'll get there.

I suggest feeding the aggressive snake in a separate container so she doesn't develop a conditioned response (i.e. associated her enclosure opening with feeding time)

Try feeding her f/t food or p/k so she doesn't begin to "jump" at everything that moves.

lastly try to handle her as much as you can... allow her to move freely through your hands... don't handle her after a feeding or right before a feeding when she's really hungry

if you really can't take it... bring her back...

Hope that helps!

~ZF

There are a couple things to consider.

1) your albino cal king might never calm down. Some never do.

2) As long as he is as hyper (as you suggest) he is a healthy snake. Look for changes in activity (lethargic) and then you might have a health problem.

3) Sometimes albino cal kings mellow with maturity. Feed him well and watch him grow. His disposition might change.

4) His refusal of ffod may be a hormonal thing as this time of year sexually mature males go off food for a while. His appetite may return in August.

5) You want to see spastic get yourself and ever popular Honduran Milksnake. Will make you cal king seem like he is on valium.

1. Some snakes are just more aggressive & less social than others. This may be the case. Be prepared to accept this. (My local pet store has a Cal King that acts similarly. When fed, it bites itself and hangs on for a long time!)

2. Most poor behavior can be corrected - just like with kids. Handle daily, or several times per week. Support the snake proprly, sway and talk to it. Get it used to handling and attention. It may settle down in time.

3. If after many months this behavior continues, despite proper handling & feed, I would swap it for a better model. Like lover & friends, we don't need to settle for the first one that came along. We can make new choices...

Thanks for the tips...

hopefully she'll settle in, actually right now she looks more peaceful then she has yet, I think... and hopefully neither of us will get bit too many more times.. hahaha