I just recently acquired a gray banded kingsnake from my sister in law. They have had it since it was young, but it has recently begun biting her and not letting go until pried off with a pencil. I have no experience with snakes, but did not want it to go to someone that would not care for it. Having scorps and Ts, I know what expertise is shared on this board. I have already researched the care and problems on this board extensively, but was wondering if we could do something better. The snake is believed to be a female and is about 21 inches long. She was being fed two live pinky mice a week (in the same container as being kept), kept on reptibark bedding, had a UTH in the center of her tank, and had no hide. After adjusting to the move for a day, my husband decided to handle her. She latched onto the end of his finger immediately and constricted the same finger. We used a couple of drops of apple bitters on my husband's finger to entice her to let go. I warmed a frozen pinky and placed it in a plastic container. Within a couple of minutes she began to eat the mouse and we were able to slip her off of my husband's finger. We heated and fed her a second pinky since she finished the first in a matter of seconds. We placed her back in her enclosure. This evening I replaced her bedding with about 3 inches of aspen shavings, moved her heater to one side of her enclosure, and gave her a hide big enough to be warm or cool. As I was fixing her enclosure, my husband tried holding her again, first touching and stroking her in the enclosure, then picking her up, again being bitten and using bitters to remove her. He then continued to hold her and carefully and slowly switch hands. He held her for about 30 minutes without being bitten. We plan to continue holding her for periods of time each evening, and not only when being fed. We then placed her back in her enclosure, which she is still enjoying burrowing and exploring. Is there anything different that we can be doing for her and how many and what size mice should I feed her? Any help or criticism is welcome and much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Help with banded kingsnake
- Thread starter antbebo
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- Jul 31, 2007
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Sounds like an exaggerated feeding response. How large is the snake? If she's any larger than a hatchling a couple pinky mice are too small a meal. I have some kings that had feeding responses like that when they were young even when I was feeding them enough. Eventually they stopped. If it happens, just place them under some running water. It will cause them to let go. Don't pry the mouth as it can cause damage to that area.
In short, make sure she's getting enough food and before handling her, wash your hands thoroughly so that any "food" smell is no longer there.
As for the food size, post a pic with something to show her size so that an appropriate food size estimate can be given.
In short, make sure she's getting enough food and before handling her, wash your hands thoroughly so that any "food" smell is no longer there.
As for the food size, post a pic with something to show her size so that an appropriate food size estimate can be given.
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I'll echo the previous poster's advice. The scent of a mouse will turn my normally placid andean milk snake into an aggressive eating machine. Your snake may mellow out as it continues to grow. In my experience, young kings and milks tend to be a bit nippy.
Our hands are washed immediately before and after handling her every time. Could she be aggressive due in some part to hunger? She is about 21 inches long. How much and what size mice should I be feeding her? Definitely a female, her tail tapers right after that last scale underneath her (sorry don't know the correct terminology yet). I will try to post a picture this evening to help.
From my experience in owning and raising snakes,the prey should not be any bigger around that the biggest or fattest part of the snakes body.You might want to try feeding it baby rats as they are more nutritious and better for the snake than mice and that may help to hold it over between feedings and stop the aggression.
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i found the best feeding schedule for my king is approx two full grown mice a week. so if you're just feeding once per week, i'd try two and see if that calms her down any.