Reptile & Amphibian Forums

this might be a long one so here we go...................

I did my homework before i bought a snake (about a month of researching online). I decided on:

mexican king (petland $80)
20g long tank with a top
4 safety clips
astro turf bedding
overhead lamp with 60W light
rock for water drinking/wetting
rock for hiding spot
2 thermometers
Total: $175

More info: The snake is about 1 foot. The manager said its about 5 months old. I fed it two pinkies days after i got it. It didnt want to eat at first but i dangled them in front of him/her and it went for it.

1. Did i pay too much for the snake? Everything in total?
2. How long should i wait until i take it to a reptile specialist to get it checked up and probed to determine gender? Where would I find someone to do that?
3. The temperatures during the day with lighting is about 85-90 degrees F. on the hot side and 80 degrees F. on the cool side At night anywhere between 70-80 F. depending if the AC is on or not. Are these ok temperatures?
4. During the feeding process the tank got a bit bloody in some areas. His hiding area had a drop of blood on it from the first pinkie so he tried to bite the rock. THEN after the 2nd pinkie some blood had gotten on his tail and he started biting himself. I panicked tried to wipe off as much of it as i could with a wet napkin and without moving him too much so he wouldnt regurgitate. IS THIS NORMAL?!!
5. As for my step the water is in the left rear, hiding rock in the center rear, and heat lamp is on the top front of screen (as directed by petland). Is this setup correct? Should i add accessories on the ride side? Is the tank too big??

**Sorry for all the questions i've been lurking on this site for a few weeks, this is my first post. So far this site seems to have the most knowledgable members and seems pretty friendly. I would call petland but to tell you the truth many people there dont seem to know jack. One guy told me i didnt need to dethaw the pinkies just put it in and wait till it gets warm enough for the snake to eat. Anyway I will gladly post some pics up of..(wish i had a name) my mexican king. As much feedback as possible would be very helpful.

-Freddie

1. Did i pay too much for the snake? Everything in total?

***That's really something only you can answer. There's no queston you could have got everthing cheaper, but then again, maybe not. What kind of Mexican king are we talking about? Durango Mountain, Thayeri, Ruthvens? Some Thayeri go for two to three hundred dollars. If you'r happy with everthing, I wouldn't worry about it.***
2. How long should i wait until i take it to a reptile specialist to get it checked up and probed to determine gender? Where would I find someone to do that?

***At 15 inchs I think the snake could be probed at anytime by someone that knows how to do it correctly. Look for a Vet that deals with Herps in your area if possible.***
3. The temperatures during the day with lighting is about 85-90 degrees F. on the hot side and 80 degrees F. on the cool side At night anywhere between 70-80 F. depending if the AC is on or not. Are these ok temperatures?

***IF my hotside is going to be 85-90, I'd want my cool side to around 72-75 if possible. Daytime temps.***
4. During the feeding process the tank got a bit bloody in some areas. His hiding area had a drop of blood on it from the first pinkie so he tried to bite the rock. THEN after the 2nd pinkie some blood had gotten on his tail and he started biting himself. I panicked tried to wipe off as much of it as i could with a wet napkin and without moving him too much so he wouldnt regurgitate. IS THIS NORMAL?!!

***Put the food item on a large papertowl. IF he still wants to drag it all over the cage and makes a mess, then try feeding in a seperate container.***
5. As for my step the water is in the left rear, hiding rock in the center rear, and heat lamp is on the top front of screen (as directed by petland). Is this setup correct? Should i add accessories on the ride side? Is the tank too big??

***I always use two hide spots. One on the cool side of the cage, the other on the opposite side on the warm side. I do not use heat lamps. I use an undertank heat pad on one end of the cage. I buy dog bowls that are hollowed out on the inside to act as a water dish as well as a hide. I place the waterbowl/hide on the cool side. Bingo, you've just created a hide and water dish at the same time. Saves space.

**Sorry for all the questions i've been lurking on this site for a few weeks, this is my first post. So far this site seems to have the most knowledgable members and seems pretty friendly. I would call petland but to tell you the truth many people there dont seem to know jack. One guy told me i didnt need to dethaw the pinkies just put it in and wait till it gets warm enough for the snake to eat. Anyway I will gladly post some pics up of..(wish i had a name) my mexican king. As much feedback as possible would be very helpful.

Pay no attention to the petland man behind the curtain. By all means, thaw out your pinkies. If you have a snake that eats a rodent still frozen inside, I belive that would cause some serious problems.
There is a wealth of knowlege on these forums. Type in some questions on the search section, and you will find alot of good info.

Steve

^^^Very good reply there, and info. that you should pay attention to.

About the astroturf. I guess it's all personal preference, but I have a substrate in my snakes house that allows her to burrow. Astroturf doesn't allow that. All kingsnakes as far as I know like to burrow from time to time. Just something to think about.

Also, in my opinion, you should lower the cage temps just a little bit, maybe down to about 80-82 on the warmside. Considering though that it's a mexican king, your temps might be okay. I'm not too keen on the mexican specimens YET.

hey thanks for the feedback. i think i might put it in a seperate dish for feeding. then again it would be nice to just throw the food in there. But should i have to dangle it in front of him all the time?

As for the two hiding spots one on each side is a good idea i read about that somewhere. And youre right he DOES go behind his water dish sometimes lol.

As for the temps how can i decrease them? I have an overhead lamp and i sit it right on top of the screen but there no way to control how much heat the bulb is emitting.

O yea and its an all black mexican king.

No, you don't have to dangle food in front of them. I do it sometimes, but most of the time I just drop my snakes food in the corner of her feeding container, wait for her to see/hear/smell it and then watch as she literally TACKLES the opposition. It's really fun to see.

Also, you could try setting something up to where you can get the light off the top of the cage. Try to lift it up some, it should drop the temps. a few degrees.

You have a Mexican Black King? Now that would explain the violence to it's food item, LOL They are excellent snakes, and trust me, after a few more feedings, you won't have to dangle anything to get him to eat. They have a very strong feeding response. Also to increase the heat, put in a smaller watt bulb, or rig the light to set higher maybe 4 to 5 inchs above the top of the enclosure. IF it were me, I'd ditch the light and go with a heatpad under one side of the tank. But the light is fine as long as it doesn't get the area too hot. Remember, if it's too hot, go with a smaller wattage, or raise the lamp higher of the cage.

Steve

"hey thanks for the feedback. i think i might put it in a seperate dish for feeding. then again it would be nice to just throw the food in there. But should i have to dangle it in front of him all the time?

As for the two hiding spots one on each side is a good idea i read about that somewhere. And youre right he DOES go behind his water dish sometimes lol.

As for the temps how can i decrease them? I have an overhead lamp and i sit it right on top of the screen but there no way to control how much heat the bulb is emitting.

O yea and its an all black mexican king"

.

Were you talking to me Steve? If so, no... I have a Hypo Floridana. She is a straight CRAZY eater though!