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Been lurking and reading as much as I can about my new girl..Shes probably 14" 5/8" diam... I picked her up last sat. I fed her 2 pinkies on sunday, 2 wed, 2 today...And sounds weird but its like she stares at looking for more...She has already pooped normal, I see her drinking at times also...

Should I offer more food?

Thanks

The getula kings are like that. At times, they never seem to get enough food, especially when young and growing. You can feed more, or not. There is no need to stuff it as long as the snake has a healthy weight, and you can learn to recognize what is in the range of normal weight. If the snakes looks skinny, feed more. You can look online to see pics of others or on youtube.

Just curious, what is your cage like?

When you look at people's setups on youtube or wherever, the most obvious mistake is not feeding too little. It is an all-screen top with a large wattage bulb providing heat. Kings do better with bottom heat or side heat and very little ventilation = slower dehydration. Or a low wattage bulb inside but with limited ventilation. Of course, a thermostat is necessary, or a dimmer at least.

If you provide a humid hide, then yes, a screen top can work. I find it easier and better to reduce ventilation to almost nil and keep things mostly dry, and mist or provide more humidity only if needed, like if the ambient humidity is really low. When kept this way, you will almost never see a king drink water. Not that drinking is a bad thing, but it can be a sign that the cage is allowing the animal to dehydrate.

I think the point is, what is normal. For snakes, to grow long and slender is normal, under normal conditions. They grow as fast as conditions allow. They have too. Being a little snake in a big world, is not easy.
The other end of schedule feedings is, keeping food in the cage continuously. If the conditions are right. The snakes will eat when they want, and grow normally as fast as conditions let them.
What was interesting was, some individuals fed almost daily, others every third day. The ones feeding daily choose to consume less food per feeding, like a fuzzie or two. Those that fed every three days normally ate more per feeding. In the end, they all reached adulthood about the same time and size.
Of interest, no snake chose feed on a weekly basis,
Our cage temps were indeed fairly normal, 75F with a hot area of in the low 90's. hot days were a little warmer and cold days the cool areas were cooler.
The point here is, they can feed daily when conditions support that. Or not. As long as you the keeper understands how they are suppose to grow. If they are getting fat, that means the temps are too low. Its not that they are eating too much.
So your task as the keeper is to maintain the conditions that support your approach. If you want to feed once a week, then make sure the snake can conserve energy by getting cool. On the otherhand, if you like your animals to explore their genetic abilities, then support that with higher temps.
Consider, in nature, there is a high level of competition for prey. Its normally abundant for short periods, and there are lots of species competing for the same prey. Best wishes

FR... Very good info sir.. Thanks very much...

Markg... Ok so I have a 20 long tank, screen top... I have a under tank heat pad, and above that a have a 12x12 heat panel...I have a hollowed out log cut in half for her hide... temp is between 83-85... Other side is roughly 72-73...Plenty of large river stone 3-4" on cool side for a place to hide... Long branch that runs length of tank and goes right up to the heat panel...Stainless 5x5x2 water dish I made at work...

Cover the screen with anything, then check the temps to make sure they are not to hot. when you heat a cage, it heats the air, it rises up and out the top, taking moisture with it. That is very hard on kingsnakes. Also with the top closed up, you can use less wattage and achieve better temps. Best wishes

Will do... Thanks!!

Thanks Superbee for describing the cage. Here are some things I have done to cover a screen top:

I got a plastic sign from the store (like a For Sale sign), used a straight-edge and a utlity knife to cut out a piece or pieces that fit on top of the screen and frame. This was for a screen that fits over the tank rim, not for a sliding screen. If you have a sliding screen top, then cut the plastic to fit accordingly where it does not interfere with the screen sliding and closing properly. You may need two pieces to make the length of a 20 gal long. Then I used mounting tape (I have also used "velcro" to adhere the plastic cover to the screen top frame. I left some areas not taped or "velcro-ed", and that provided a small gap for air. That is plenty of air, especially because you will open the tank from time to time anyway.

For a sliding screen top, you cannot use tape. You may have to use a few dabs of silicon instead. Just a few will hold it fine, and it can be removed later if needed.

You may find that a heat panel is no longer needed once you cover the cage top. You can still make a cover with a cutout for the heat panel. Also make a cover for that cutout in case you do not need the heat panel. For example, no heat panel will be needed in Summer. You may have to experiment a bit. In my experience, heat panels are really great heaters for larger areas and for snakes with more body mass than a kingsnake. You can still use it, perhaps use it without a heat pad. Up to you. Heat panels work better when the cage top is not all screen. Screen tops suck for most snakes, certainly for kingsnakes, milksnakes, cornsnakes.

In Summer, or when there is ample humidity in the room, a screen top is fine. But a covered screen is still fine. I remove water bowls when the ambient humidity gets up there and leave the cage top covered.

I hope this helps. I wish the big pet stores would quit pushing all screen top cages for snakes. They could easily manufacture tops that are not.