My king snake seems hungry.?
This is my first time owning a snake, and yes I've done a lot of research, but I'm just trying to get more information. I fed him Saturday, and he did very well with the pinkie mouse I gave him. He's still pretty small so I thought one would do it. Well now, he seems hungry. He tries to constrict my bracelet, but doesn't bite. He's also been very energetic, and acts as if he's looking for something. Should I feed him again, or wait until next Saturday?
Why did my King Snake die?
Any number of issues could have gotten him (internal parasites, etc), but in the future - make sure you are using an overhead light source and monitoring you snakes tempature in the cage with a cool spot and a hot spot. Heat pads and hot rocks need to be used very carefully as they do not adequately provide the right environment. In the wild - the sun provides heat, and rocks and other shelters offer the snake the opportunity to regulate himself. Lack of food was not the issue - juvenile snakes can still go months without eating, although they usually don't eat because something in their environment isn't right. Be very careful to sanitize all of your gear before getting a new snake in the cage.
How do you know when a corn snake is hungry?
There really isn't a sure way to tell when a snake is hungry, but often when the snake is roaming its cage more often then usual it means they're in search of food. But your corn snake should be consistently fed once a week, or if it is a full grown adult you may feed it once every two weeks. Best of luck, hope I was of help to you.
Is my snake hungry or just getting more aggressive?
First of all, at his size, I think he could be eating a bit more. Retics are fast-growing snakes and have relatively fast metabolisms when they are young. There's not a very great chance of having an obese hatchling or juvenile retic. It could be a number of things, but I believe the most likely is that he is developing cage aggression, which is very common in snakes, especially larger, more aggressive feeders. He's at the age when he could start eating food about the size of your fist. When he sees a food-sized, warm, moving thing (your hand) come into his cage, he expects it's food. (This is not a result of you feeding him in the cage, often times feeding outside of the cage doesn't do any good.) There are several options; you could hook train him or hook him out. Hook training is a way of teaching the snake the difference between feeding and handling times. Before reaching in to pull him out, rub the top of his head and upper neck with a long snake hook. When he recognizes the hook, he will understand that it's time to be handled. You may want to use gloves at first, as it can take a while. Or, you could just use the hook to pull him out. Snakes with cage aggression rarely show signs of aggression once they are taken out of their cage. If I'm right, he's just as docile as he was before; he's just confusing your hand and forearm with a rodent.
King snake becoming aggressive?
I have had Casper ( my king snake) for about a month, He is about 3 months old and he's always been a great snake, very curious, I'd pick him up (he'd try to sliver away but I would always be able to pick him up) and now he has become vicious, i don't know if its because fall is here and its cooling down (maybe mating season... and to be honest I'm not 100% sure he's male) Anyways he gets into the S position and hisses and strikes at the glass as i walk by, I thought he was hungry at first, so i managed to get him out and i fed him, 2 days later he's at it again! I left him alone for about a week and he kept trying to kill me through the glass but I finally managed to get him out 2 days ago but he was NOT happy. he just sat there on my hand, not being curious and slithering around like usual. he just sat and stared at me, i could tell he was thinking of striking at me so i put him back in the cage. I don't know if its really a girl and she's getting into some sort of defensive mating thing or what, the frustrating thing is my 12 year old sister went into my room without knowing and picked up the snake with no problems (WTF right?!) anyways, any suggestions as to whats up my snakes *** is appreciated :) I'm not gonna give up on Casper, even if i have to wear biker gloves for the rest of his life.
My california king snake bit me?
You've really rushed into this. 1. When you get a new snake you're supposed to leave it alone in a properfor at least two weeks to settle in. No handling. You should also wait at least a week before feeding them. 2. After you feed a snake, especially after you first get them, leave them alone. That means no handling. They're uncomfortable and want to digest in peace. 3. If you do get bit, you do NOT EVER try to grab their neck or pry them off. That's a good way to break their fragile bones and tear muscles. You certainly frightened him badly and you could have easily hurt him. It's as simple as putting their head under running water. If that still doesn't work then you need to pour a little mouthwash or drinking alchohol over his head. Works everytime. You've really stressed this poor guy out. Just provide him a proper environment (Correct thermal gradient, plenty of snug hides, water dish for soaking etc etc) in a quiet, low traffic area and leave him alone for at least two weeks now. An improper or stressful environment will make him more uncomfortable and defensive. When you do start handling, do it when he's comfortable and has came out on his own. Don't reach into his hide while he's digesting and bother him. Limit handling to a few minutes every couple of days. With consistancy he will eventually tame down at least some.
How is hunger affected on a snake in the shedding period?
I was always told that when snakes shed they're not interested in food, but my royal python, Udon, begs to differ.She was fed yesterday, and as usual, took it like a champ. Today I saw her hide that she was sitting on (yes, on, she is weird) was looking a bit gross, so I grabbed her to get her off it so I could give it a clean, and noticed she was in blue![Note: I was holding her for all of 10 seconds. when I noticed she was in blue for the first time, I snapped this photo and immediately put her back in her viv. Had I known she was in shed I would have left the hide. I will be leaving her alone until she has shed now. I also usually leave her 48 hours after feeding before any handling, but I am a bit over cautious when it comes to keeping her vivarium clean]Having seen Udon eat either just before or during blue (I didn't see her face while I was feeding), I can safely say that some snakes will eat during shed, and others will not. It is uncomfortable for them, so it really depends on the specific snake.
Can you over feed a snake?
Yes, absolutely. With small snakes it doesn't happen too much, but some people make the mistake to strictly feed the snake once per 2 weeks or even once a week. Offering a prey once every 2 weeks isn't bad, of course---but the snakes should be allowed to reject it. If they reject, they should not be force-fed. Only in exceptional circumstances must this be done. Look at the snake's health and conditions, and improve that first.With big snakes it is a real problem. I work in a reptile shop, and the rate of people overfeeding their big snakes is creeping somewhere around 1/3 of them. People oftenly make the mistake that they pick the size of the prey according to what a snake can swallow. But you shouldn't always feed them rabbits or jumbo rats, even if your snake accepts it. Give them smaller prey too, and let them diet on it sometimes. Such is how nature works too.This is what a REALLY overweight ball python looks like...Image source: To those that feed mice......
How do i tell if my California King Snake is full?
One suitable sized meal per week (large enough to show a small lump) will give a good rate of growth. One meal every two weeks will provide healthy but slow growth. My records indicate you can't overfeed a baby snake in terms of frequency, but avoid oversized meals. http://www.applegatereptiles.com/articles/feedingbabysnakes.htm or u can read it here on to bottom hope it helps =]