Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I picked up a black & white CA king last summer... she's been great with the kids, very docile (I say "her", but I have no idea) a good feeder, and all around a very good snake.

She hasn't eaten in a while - two months maybe. After checking around here that's probably normal. She has plenty of weight, clear eyes, mouth seems fine, overall a very healthy-looking snake. If I put a couple of live mice in her cage she might run right over there and kill one, holding on to it for as long as 5 min, but then let it go and then ignore the live and dead one completely.

She's pacing her cage a lot like she's anxious to get out, and she seems to like being held. The problem is, she's taken to biting! Not defensively - she'll just turn around and latch on to a thumb and not want to let go! (This is with clean hands - not after handling a food item.)

So what's up with that? Is that normal too?

Thanks- I appreciate the input.

G.

Sounds very much like you have a male there, who is only interested in mating, since he's warmed up this season. I would imagine he kills the first mouse out of instinct, but has no interest in eating because he wants a female.

If he ignores any of the live mice, please make sure you take them out of his cage. I just recently rescued two snakes from a guy who thought he should just leave them in there. The snakes are still healing from their rodent bites. I only feed frozen/thawed, so no risk of that now. ^_^

I would say your snake should be acting "normal" again in a month or so.
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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
0.0.2 Cornsnakes (Lyle & Erik Menendez)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan) (Deceased )
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

I have a male Florida Kingsnake who, after his second year, started acting the same way. He's usually over it by now, but I can't say for California Kingsnakes. I have one, but still very small.

I had a vet check my Floridian when he acted that way. He checked out normal. I increased his humidity, but I think it was the 'hunting a female' that was causing the behavior.

Thanks for the input, I feel a lot better. I would be a shame if the kids couldn't hold him any more.

Cursed hormones... I know how he feels.

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