Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First post here on the message boards. I recieved a male albino cali kingas a christmas present and he seems to be very agressive when it comes to handling. He raises up and tail rattles as soon as my hand enters the tank. Is there anything I can do to calm him down? I want a snake that can be handled calmly!

Many kings if not most, will show that type of aggressive behavior, especially when they are in their younger years. I used to experience the same tail rattling, even striking when I put my hand down in the enclosure of my Cal King, and it used to worry me too and I know what you're going through. Once you get the snake out and in your hands they usually calm down though as I'm sure you've noticed. My advice is to relax and don't feel you have to hold him so much especially if you just recently got him. Feed him in another enclosure if possible, maintain clean conditions and fresh water with the correct heat temps and a gradient. Allow plenty of time to adjust to the new home and in time your king will most likely calm down as mine did, to the point it was a pleasure to open the screen top and take him out and hold. Best of luck and enjoy your new snake.
Jim

One important thing to remember: once you're set on removing the snake from the enclosure, don't back down from him. That just teaches him how to keep humans away. Mine rattled his tail quite frequently as a young snake, but regular handling and a consistent removal method (i.e. always approaching him in the same way) resulted in a calm, enjoyable animal.

Good luck!

Orocosos

i recently (abotu 6 weeks ago) got a new snake aswell. it was a female het albino banded californian king. she was extremely aggressive to start with, and like your own, tail would shake, would go into striking posture (s shaped bend at the neck) and sometimes actually strike at me.

i left her to settle in the first few days, and some days she was more sociable than others. i've recently moved her to another room (she was in my bedroom) as i'm awake almost all of the time due to insomnia and therefore, there was nearly always a light on in my room. she seems to have calmed immensely and hardly ever does the tail shake now. even though once i woke her up and picked her up, she did go to strike at me, then just before she was about to bite, she stopped, had a smell and was fine (must have recognised my scent - but if i had been bitten, it was my own fault for startling her). with king snakes you need to be direct when picking them up and also when handling them. otherwise, as a previous replier said.....they'll know how to keep you away. they arent poisonous, i took the notion that it was better to be bitten and show her i was boss than back down and have a unsociable snake

some folk would say if you arent prepared to be bitten, you shouldnt keep snakes. king snakes do make great pets when properly handled though. most suggest handling them for 10 mins per day and (again as suggested by prev poster) feeding them in a seperate enclosure so they dont associate hands or lid being removed with food and also, if you have woodshavings as beddin.....if they digest this, it can cause damage to their insides.

hope you manage to overcome this. just be brave. even if you know someone who is a experienced handler, ask them to get the snake used to handling for you