Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I got a california kingsnake from the reptile show recently. It is almost a foot long, and moderatly aggressive. On Animal planet they said that kings are one of the best pet snakes, so I was wondering if anyone had any tips on handling? Whenever I apporach him he goes into the classic rattlesnake position, and if I get to nail him by the tail, he'll spread that musk stuff on me. Anyway, any tips would be great

Just pick him up and hold him.

Hi, Andy G. hit dead on it. Just reach in and gentle pick him up. Hold your fear of getting a bite. Don’t pull away if he does. Hurts their teeth (little ones/doesn’t hurt)!! The bite only scares/surprises you don’t let him go. Continue to get him out and hold him. Go a little at a time so you don’t stress him too much. 5 or 10 minutes to start with. You must show him that this routine is going to continue and that you (are) going to pick him up. Once he figures that he has no effect on you he will become that pet snake your after.

If you keep snakes you are going to be bitten. Being bitten comes with the hobby/love of snakes.

Now get in there and get some snake musk on you!!! I hope I have helped you.

I'll add one thing - be very gentle! Avoid grabbing, constricting, or otherwise restricting the snake's movement (except, of course to keep him from wandering off!). No sudden or jerky movements, as these can leave the animal feeling threatened. Everything should be gentle and gradual; let him crawl through your hands/fingers, around your arm, etc. The idea is to have him recognize that you're not a threat. Eventually he'll come to recognize the drill as a non-threat, and will respond with more of an air of curiosity. He should even come to enjoy the warmth of your hands/arms - after all, they're like soft warm rocks to a snake!

You still may get nipped on occasion, or musked, but hey, that's all part of life when you own a snake!! michaelb

PS, If he's about to shed (blue-ish eyes) or it's getting close to feeding time, those are times when it's probably better to just let him be - until after he's shed or after he's had ample time to digest his meal (at least a couple days).

I'd like to add that if you are scared just remember. The snake is freaking out because it is scared you are going to eat it. Once you pick it up (and don't eat it), it will calm down at least a little. So that crazy display they sometimes do will go away (usually) once they are in your hands. Also, usually there will come a time when you are handling a snake that even an extremely wild one will calm down. This is the time to put it back in it's home. This will condition it to calm the heck down if it wants you to leave it alone. Conversely, if it suddenly becomes very agitated while you are holding it, do NOT put it back. This will condition it to freak out if it wants you to leave it alone. And that is very annoying.
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If you just got him a few days ago I'd let him settle in a bit before you bother him too much. He needs to feel secure in his cage before he'll think about being tame. Make sure he has a spot to hide in, too.