Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've recently acquired a couple of adult California Kingsnakes, and they are quite squirly. I've been handling them frequently for about a month now, and they are still ornery, especially the female.

They still poop all over the place, and fling their bodies around. They also have not tried to bite me once I have them out of the cage, but ocassionally I'll get lunged at when I reach in. When holding I am not grabbing them, but letting them slide around my hands and arms. I also wash my hands and arms between holding snakes, so I can't imagine the smell of another snake on me would be too strong.

Anybody have any pointers to get these guys to calm down, or is it just a matter of time and patience? I have no intention of getting rid of these snakes at all, if they will be ornery till the rest of their days, I can live with it... it would just be a lot more pleasant to hold them without so much protest.

Sure makes me appreciate my nice and calm thayeris!

Thanks in advance!
-----
1.1.0 Leopard Geckos (Booger, Gimp)
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon (Lucutis)
0.0.1 Quince Monitor (Pollux)
1.2.0 Thayeri Kingsnakes (Korben, Leeloo, Artax)
2.2.0 California Kingsnakes (Beetlejuice, Kang, Maraca, Kodos)

I've posted before that I love the way Cal. Kings look but I gave up on them a long time ago because of the obnoxiuos attitudes I ran into often. I've owned a few that were mellow over the years but more often had psychos even when raised from calm hatchling. Others never seem to have a problem. Go figure. It's one of the big reasons I like working with the Black Milks. Mellow, mellow campers usuually that never in my experience do that sudden, for no reason latching on of the hand and constricting move.I'm embarrassed a bit that after keeping herps for a long time, I'm enjoying some "pet" type animals.LOL. Good luck.
Bob.

That's odd, i guess it's more common then not but i've never seen an aggressive cal king and all the ones i've ever seen are wc straight from the desert, like my little guy i just caught he doesn't squirm or defecate just lets me pick him up. maybe he is just thankful for a good home and plenty to eat, lol. Are yours adults or hatchlings?? maybe they are just set in their older grumpier ways. kind of like monitors, if i get a monitor that will grow big enough to do some serious damage to me then i'd rather get him as a hatchling then a sub-adult to adult. which by the way how is your quince doing?? Anyway maybe just more time slowly bit by bit you can get them to calm down. take care!

New pic i took this morning, Snake-Eyes loves his/her cage/ need to probe him/her sometime. and yes That is his name, he has a dot on the top of his head which reminded me of dice and that is also my fav G.I joe char when i was a kid lol, enjoy!

they can be a pain but i love em

I've had a few - the big guy I have now still occasionally opens his jaw - but he hasn't bitten in about a year. He was collected as a large adult in 2000 - bit me when collected, but unfortunately I didn't even notice until I got home and saw the teeth marks in my arm.

I've only experienced long term bad tempers though with kings that were around 4 ft or larger when collected. The sweetest king I ever had was the first king I ever caught - a female, 3.5'. The meanest I ever caught was a 4.5' male, the second king I ever had. He mated with her once, and then we tried to double clutch and didn't watch closely enough - and we ended up with a really fat mean male
-----
3.0 WC; 0.1 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 CB L. pyromelana pyromelana
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata