Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, today i went to my local pet store and they usually have my feeders and some snakes that I look at. But today i saw a little hatchling california desert king that was REALLY skinny and the guy said they feed him every 3 weeks so he wont get big too fast. I wanted to save him because i know not many people are crazy about snakes around here and most despise them. The only think is that the snake costs 70 bucks! I mean i see california desert kings on this website for $30 but $70 is that too much? Should i go through the effort anyway and buy the snake? He didnt have any ticks or mites but then again he was mostly black so you never know. Whats a cheap temporary setup that i could make for him? Im only 15 and dont want to spend to much but I want to save this snake. Ill get a lot of christmas cash so moneys not THAT much of a problem but i want to know whats a cheap setup i could make and if i should save him.

Thanks,Kevin.

>>Hello, today i went to my local pet store and they usually have my feeders and some snakes that I look at. But today i saw a little hatchling california desert king that was REALLY skinny and the guy said they feed him every 3 weeks so he wont get big too fast. I wanted to save him because i know not many people are crazy about snakes around here and most despise them. The only think is that the snake costs 70 bucks! I mean i see california desert kings on this website for $30 but $70 is that too much? Should i go through the effort anyway and buy the snake? He didnt have any ticks or mites but then again he was mostly black so you never know. Whats a cheap temporary setup that i could make for him? Im only 15 and dont want to spend to much but I want to save this snake. Ill get a lot of christmas cash so moneys not THAT much of a problem but i want to know whats a cheap setup i could make and if i should save him.
>>
>>Thanks,Kevin.

The problem with buying a neglected pet store snake is twofold. First, you're getting a snake that likely has problems you don't know about, will require medical care, etc. Can be expensive. Second, if you purchase the snake, from the pet store perspective they have a sale. When you have an item you can sell, you restock. They will then have another snake to abuse.

I was in a pet store last weekend. Two thirds of their snakes were in their water bowls. In one cage, there were 1/2 dozen ball pythons in one water bowl. Probably mites. . . One ball python (not in a water bowl) was a patchwork of 1/2 shed skin and looked to have at least two or three unshed eye caps. And their texas rat was skin and bones.

Harsh as it is, the only way that pet stores will stop carrying snakes is if nobody buys them. Talk to the manager and read him the riot act. Let him know you won't be purchasing anything at his store. But, I sure wouldn't buy such a snake.

deg

I understand your desire to save the uncared for snake. Many of us have felt the same way in petstores. Yes, I think $70 is overpriced for that snake, but I agree it deserves a good home too and it sounds like you truly care. If you do decide to get him you have several choices on a set up. YOu can either buy a 15 dollar medium reptile plastic carrier that all pet stores sell and just give him a small water dish of any type or you can go to your local wal-mart and pick up a Sterilite or Rubbermaid container of the size you want for very cheap and put some small air holes in the side of it. Make sure that whatever you get has a very secure top on it though. As for substrate you can use papertowels or newspaper for hte bottom of whatever container you get and since Kings like to hide I am sure you can come up with something to put in there that he can crawl under to feel safe. A set up does not have to require alot of money. Good luck and I wish you the best in deciding what to do.

Take care
Dawn

First, I really applaud your heart. You see a situation that makes you uncomfortable and you want to help. That's flat out awesome.
Now, from what you describe, I can't really say that the snake is in danger or poor health. Snakes can manage on fairly small calorie intake. I don't like the store's approach but it may not be harming the snake - it just isn't doing the best for it. Many breeders do the same thing - not me though. I once had a hatchling Everglades Rat Snake that escaped and was without food for 167 days. It thrived after we found him.
To summarize this point, the snake may not be in need of saving yet so don't use that to make your decision. If you buy the snake, it should be because you think it is worth the money to you. Throughout your herping, life, you will find cases like this and its tough to help them all. I suspect you are a very conscientious keeper and, if you get the snake, it will do very well in your care. If you do get it, post a picture and let us see the little guy. Here is a pic of one of my youngsters.

>>First, I really applaud your heart. You see a situation that makes you uncomfortable and you want to help. That's flat out awesome.
>>Now, from what you describe, I can't really say that the snake is in danger or poor health. Snakes can manage on fairly small calorie intake. I don't like the store's approach but it may not be harming the snake - it just isn't doing the best for it. Many breeders do the same thing - not me though. I once had a hatchling Everglades Rat Snake that escaped and was without food for 167 days. It thrived after we found him.
>>To summarize this point, the snake may not be in need of saving yet so don't use that to make your decision. If you buy the snake, it should be because you think it is worth the money to you. Throughout your herping, life, you will find cases like this and its tough to help them all. I suspect you are a very conscientious keeper and, if you get the snake, it will do very well in your care. If you do get it, post a picture and let us see the little guy. Here is a pic of one of my youngsters.
>>

Yeah nice glades. i love them
later Jason

I am the king of rescuing colubrids from petstores. It is a weakness for me, and I've gotten some extremely nice kings/corns out of it. Of course, there is always those that truly have something wrong with them, or else are too far gone.

I wish I could see the king and help determine if it is just thin but otherwise healthy. In general, look for it being alert and active when held.

You being only 15, $70 is alot to part with I'd imagine. But, if you like the snake, ask the pet store for some kind of guarantee for as long a period as they will agree to. Also, ask them to feed the snake in front of you. Most Cal kings aren't real shy about feeding right then and there. I do that usually for questionable hatchlings, and I don't even bother for hatchlings that look fine but are in deplorable conditions.

I'll try to get a pic uploaded of one of my rescue Cal kings.

BTW, if the snake dies at the pet store, they will replace it more often than not. Some folks will say that if you buy the snake, the store will be motivated to get more. I've found in reality, stores that mistreat reptiles will get more anyway, even if this snake dies in the store. Assuming of course it is not being kept properly, and I don't really know if the snake you speak of is really in danger or not.

Good luck.

Hey guys, i was going to go out tonight to check it out but to much homework and stuff. Back on topic when the guy held it in his hand i could see ribs, is that bad? Since you say they can thrive like that i assume its not that bad then. The snake was SOOO small i mean smaller than my baby corn and wasnt shy because most snakes they have act reckless as soon as they are heldt. If i get it i will surely take pictures and im going to demand a gaurauntee thing like you said. I'll probably buy that reptile keep thing, I tried to put holes into my moms rubber maid box a few weeks ago and it left the house really plastic stinky so i guess the reptile keeper is a better choice. What can i use thats cheap for heating? How big do they grow? I know one of the store people that work there and he is kind of cool but do you think he will give me a gaurantee? Sorry for this being long.
Thanks, kevin

You can get a heat pad and lean it up against the side or back of the reptile keeper enclosure. You would also be wise to buy a dimmer or even that rheostat by ZooMed. Put the cage and heater in a place that helps insulated so the heat gets into the cage some. In other words, don't set it on a tabletop where a draft or cold air surrounds the whole cage.

I don't know if the sales person will give you a guarantee. But ask. And ask that they feed it before you will consider buying it. If it doesn't eat, it may or may not be saved. Sometimes a warm, humid hide is all it takes to rehydrate a hatchling and get it going again. I've done that with seemingly doomed hatchlings that I've found in stores in a cage and very dehydrated.

To make a humid hide, just fill 1/3 your cage with damp sphagnum moss on the heated end of the cage. Works wonders for snakes sometimes. Dehydration is a real problem with many pet store snakes, especially baby kingsnakes and cornsnakes.

Thanks, ive given some serious thought in getting him and will probably anyway. Ive never owned a king and believe it or not Id rather save one than have one that will a good home anyway. They keep the flourescent lightbulbs on all the time. The snakes in a little enclosure and i guess he has water but just a little and i dont believe he has any hides but saturday will tell. How long do you think I can keep him in the reptile keeper? I already have 2 ball pythons in the same tank so im limited on space. I just hope the reptile keeper thing isnt to big.

The reptile enclosures that you get in pet stores will come in different sizes . Get the one that is more long than it is tall and you will be able to keep your snake it for a longer period of time. They are about 13 inches long and about 6 inches high and have multicolored tops and ventilated upper sides. They are very common and should cost 13 to 17 dollars for this size.

I dont know how old the snake is not but he should be able to stay and grow in this for up to a year. Eventually for good quality of life , as he grows up, he will need a bigger and better aquarium though . Kings snakes can get up to 4 feet and need space to stretch out as an adult to keep respiratory health.Keep all of this in mind as you decide whether or not to purchase it.

Thanks! I'll purchase a reptile keeper this weekend and get the snake if they still have it after christmas. What kind of king is that? It looks blue, is that its true color or was it lighting? Looks like a speckled king. Ive been seeing pics of california kings and the one at the store looks nothing like what i see in the pics. It has thin zig zaggy lines going down from its spine to its belly, they are pearl white and it almost looks like lightning. Is this a california king? It doesnt have bands like i see in pics.

If I were dealling with a pet store and not sure of their ability to care for their snakes, I'd ask them to save the next shed for me and tell them what I'm looking for as a good shed. I'd ask to see the snake feed as several others have mentioned, but I'd also tell them that a good shed would help me decide to buy the snake. As others have mentioned, if you buy this snake to rescue it from bad conditions, they've made their sale and have incentive to continue doing poorly on future snakes. On the other hand, if you insist on positive signs of good health, you give them incentive to keep the snake well fed and under conditions that promote good health. You might lose this particular snake to another buyer, but you've given the store an incentive to offer healthy snakes for sale.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.