A funny kingsnake pic.

[Jmugleston]

I was in my animal room the other day and a kingsnake caught my eye. He was in a 10 in deli cup outside the racks as are all the picky eating kings. (Try to keep them separate until the are eating f/t mice. That way I don't accidentally sell a picky eater.) Anyway I went up to the container to see what was going on with the snake. The first pic shows how he looked. Something below him had caught his eye and he was staring intently at it. See first pic.
Seems the newly hatched corns below him were of interest.

Now the full pic of what he was looking at......Lunch. The goofy bugger sat there staring for a number of minutes.

 

[guirouno]

lol, I used to think that cannibalism for kings was just a hunger thing, but they'd take another snake over anything any day.

 

[Jmugleston]

Oh yeah.

Any picky king eaters get started by feeding on the weak corn hatchlings. Once they are eating it's easy to switch them to mice.
Joey

 

[Ted]

now i dont know if this is true..but was told many years ago by a super reliable source, that housing any other snakes in vicinity out kingsnakes stresses both reptiles out a lot.
the kings remain focused on the smell of the others and the others get stressed because they can detect the kingsnakes.
as i understand many snakes eat their own sheds to avoid being detected by kings and other snake eaters.

if anyone can substantiate or elaborate on this theory, i am curious.
this is just what i've heard..i have no actual data to back that up.
there may be something about this some where on the net.

oh..and cool pics!

 

[Jmugleston]

Hmmm Haven't heard that.

I've had kings, milks, corns, bulls, and hognose to name a few in the same rack systems for year and haven't notice any problem. Nor have I ever seen evidence of a shed being eaten. The corns I have now are all eating and some are in a tray directly next to a king. They are eating and growing just as well as the corns that are in trays next to other corns. I wouldn't, I guess I don't, worry about the proximity of cages causing stress. I have seen no behavior to convince me there is any added stress experienced by a corn to being near a kingsnake's cage. For that matter, the giant primate hand that reaches in the cage frequently to remove the snakes for feeding, remove water dishes, remove feces, and remove sheds is possibly more stressful than the scent of a king. Interesting idea though.

 

[Ted]

I've had kings, milks, corns, bulls, and hognose to name a few in the same rack systems for year and haven't notice any problem. Nor have I ever seen evidence of a shed being eaten. The corns I have now are all eating and some are in a tray directly next to a king. They are eating and growing just as well as the corns that are in trays next to other corns. I wouldn't, I guess I don't, worry about the proximity of cages causing stress. I have seen no behavior to convince me there is any added stress experienced by a corn to being near a kingsnake's cage. For that matter, the giant primate hand that reaches in the cage frequently to remove the snakes for feeding, remove water dishes, remove feces, and remove sheds is possibly more stressful than the scent of a king. Interesting idea though.

cool.
just something i was told.
maybe there's nothing to that idea at all.
carry on!