Cannibilism is an odd and misunderstood word, in this case, its taken out of context. Its actually based on humans consuming humans. It means consuming your own kind.
Well snakes eat different types of snakes, so a kingsnake consuming a corn snake is not cannibilism, in any from. Cannibilism would be kingsnakes consuming kingsnakes. But this does not normally happen either. OH before all the cards/letters/e-mails, come in to express their kingsnake ate another kingsnake. You need to understand some very important aspects.
First, in order for it to be cannibilism, the prey or food item(in captivity) must be considered the same type. But because of the difinition of the word, this is confusing. As who is calling what the same kind. Are you calling the prey item the same, or is the snake calling its prey the same. You may, but obviously the snake is not. The snake is calling what it ate, FOOD. You see, they do not have human rules, and try very hard to not be anthromorphic(guided by human behaviors) (your task is to convince the kingsanke that the corn snake is the same)
Snakes live in colonies(loose or tight) family groups, congregations, populations, what ever you want to call them. In these groups, kingsnakes do not eat eachother. You know, if they did, there would only be one giant kingsnake in any population. As seen by many here, you often find wild kings in the company of other kings. Why? I have never seen a kingsnake in nature eat another kingsnake, that is, have one in its belly. Not of its own family group or kind or congregation, or population or other human word.
So heres the deal, they are not cannibilistic, in the sense, they do not eat what they call their own. They eat the OTHERS. You see, it doesn't matter what we call them, it matters what "they" call them.
So why is that important to you? because all you have to do is convince a kingsnake that a cornsnake is a kingsnake of its own group and bingo bango, your in river city. Actually its very easy. Raise them together since hatchling, and never allow them to starve. You see a starving snake will indeed consume one of its kind. But so will a starving person. Its kinda forgiven if your starving to death, its survival afterall. The problem is, humans are stupid as a stone about snakes. They feed them on schedules and not hunger. Like every five days or two weeks, then they forget and go out snake hunting or to a party, then that time doubles, hmmmmmmmm someone ask the snake about this. Or they feed on a schedule and the temps change as summer comes and do not increase food intake. Hence starving while feeding, this is a very interesting trick, humans are so so dumb. They also feed by habit, that is, a pinkie, then the snake grows and its hotter out and its a double wammy, they are still feeding a pinkie, which is now half of what is was, combined with a higher metabolism. Humans, so so naive.
So yes, its easy, just raise them together and do not let them starve. But always keep in mind. What your doing is changing the natural behaviors of an animal, so do not get mad if it fails. As it will not work all the time. Just most. Awwww but such are animals. Consider, if you were raised with a goat, would you eat it. You may not want to, thats natural, but if your starving, you will. FR
ps. primitive tribes often called themselves, "the people"(their word for it) which actually meant, that other tribes were not people, as in different. So they ate them, as no one told them to consider other tribes as humans(the people) and not animals. You see, they "the people" considered all animals that were not their tribe, animals and therefore food. Eating animals was normal. On the other hand, their was also ritualistic cannibilism too, Aztecs etc.
Stealing members of other tribes was also commonly practived, but once one was raised with "the people" it became "the people".
i completely agree,,,when are you writing a book?