I don't understand

[truthsdeceit]

So I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this. The explanations a little long, I know, but bear with me.

I've got this California King snake and when I got him he was a sweet curious snake. Already a year old, I rescued him from a 8 year old boy who had lost interest, he was surprisingly friendly.

After I'd had him a few months I was pretty comfy with him so I'd let him cruise around on me and my chair while on the computer or whatever. Then one day he bit me. Not struck or anything. He was just cruising up my arm, nosing around like usual and he opened his mouth and set it on me. Real slow and gentle like till it closed down. It was my elbow which is a ridiculous place for a little king to be trying to 'eat' me from. And he would work his jaw back and forth like he was trying to swallow. I figured it was a fluke and put him back in his tank.

But it kept getting worse, started out gentle but escalated to full on strikes and eventually I couldn't even get him out of his cage without employing gloves. I stopped handling him for months, feeding in his cage and only taking him out to clean.

After a couple of months I took a chance and tried picking him up. He was skittish but fine. Now he seems back to his old self. Though I don't trust him enough to relax at the computer yet.

Anyone else experience a weird change in personality??
I swear nothing changed in my husbandry of him. Not before the aggression and not after, unless you count the amount of handling time.

Thanks for reading.... what do you think?

[FloridaHogs]

I have found when snakes go thru their "teenager" phase, their appitite goes crazy. It is like the only thing they can think of is food, but it does pass.

[Brandon Osborne]

Nothing out of the ordinary with a cal king. They are unpredictable biters in my experience. At one point, I had around 40 breeder cal kings. About 90% of them exibited a "bitey" behavior. This, like you said, did not come from a feeding response, but was just part of what they did. It's one reason I stopped working with them and decided to focus on Florida kings. They are calm and gentle, but you know when they are in feeding mode. lol. Good luck.

[lillyorchid]

LOL sounds like a normal Cali king to me. Mine is fine one second then wanting to bite me the next. They have odd personalities like rat snakes do.

[truthsdeceit]

I'd heard that kings were more aggressive, what confused me was the sudden onset and then him being fine again with no handling.

Probably just the teenager thing.

[Brandon Osborne]

I'd heard that kings were more aggressive, what confused me was the sudden onset and then him being fine again with no handling.

Probably just the teenager thing.

Depends on the king. Teenager thing?.....not really a thing. Cal kings are just unpredictable. They will just chew on you for no apparent reason whenever they feel like it. As for kings being aggressive, I don't think that either. Are they aggressive feeders and hardy captives?......absolutely. Overall, most kings are very gentle as adults and make great pets. My experience with Cal kings is, some may never bite, but most will get you at one point or another when you least expect it.......usually on the fore-arm or hand.

[truthsdeceit]

OH I have nothing against kings. I love my cal king he just confused me there for a while.

I don't hold it against him, I'd say he's my favorite but they're all my favorites.