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  1. #1
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    California Kingsnake ate weirdly, should I be concerned? or is he just being himself.

    I got my California kingsnake, Max, a while ago. It took him a long time to settle in. he wouldn't eat for two and a half weeks. He finally started eating but would never eat in the same room as me. This has been what it was like until tonight. He finally took the frozen/thawed pinky off of the tongs. He ate very weirdly though. First, he sniffed it like a dog does( literally sniffing, there was no tong flicking). Then, instead of taking the head (which was facing his mouth), he decided to bite the middle of the pinky's body. Then he lifted the pinky off the ground and stood up with it. He held this position for a few seconds. He was looking directly at me to. He then did almost a 'dance' swinging side to side with it. I was concerned that it might have been a neurological issue, but it did not look like what I have seen in videos of snakes with neurological issues. Next, he bent completely backwards and held that position for about 5 seconds. He was still holding the pinky by the middle of the body. The next thing he did was lift himself up a little bit almost to a 45 degree angle, and while in that position he flipped the mouse around so the feet were in his mouth. He then slithered into a normal position and started eating the mouse. When I tried to move to grab a water bottle to fill his dish with. He stopped eating, turned his head to face me, and wagged his tail. If i did any small movements like turning my head he would momentarily pause eating. He would not let me move until the mouse was 3 quarters the way into his mouth. I then put the lid on the container and left the room.

    He usually acts just like a normal snake. I have never seen him eat before and none of the other snakes I have or have had ate like this.

    I really wish I could have gotten video but I was not expecting this to happen. I am gonna try and get video next time he eats.

  2. #2
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
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    California Kingsnake ate weirdly, should I be concerned? or is he just being himself.

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxthekingsnake View Post
    I got my California kingsnake, Max, a while ago. It took him a long time to settle in. he wouldn't eat for two and a half weeks. He finally started eating but would never eat in the same room as me. This has been what it was like until tonight. He finally took the frozen/thawed pinky off of the tongs. He ate very weirdly though. First, he sniffed it like a dog does( literally sniffing, there was no tong flicking). Then, instead of taking the head (which was facing his mouth), he decided to bite the middle of the pinky's body. Then he lifted the pinky off the ground and stood up with it. He held this position for a few seconds. He was looking directly at me to. He then did almost a 'dance' swinging side to side with it. I was concerned that it might have been a neurological issue, but it did not look like what I have seen in videos of snakes with neurological issues. Next, he bent completely backwards and held that position for about 5 seconds. He was still holding the pinky by the middle of the body. The next thing he did was lift himself up a little bit almost to a 45 degree angle, and while in that position he flipped the mouse around so the feet were in his mouth. He then slithered into a normal position and started eating the mouse. When I tried to move to grab a water bottle to fill his dish with. He stopped eating, turned his head to face me, and wagged his tail. If i did any small movements like turning my head he would momentarily pause eating. He would not let me move until the mouse was 3 quarters the way into his mouth. I then put the lid on the container and left the room.

    He usually acts just like a normal snake. I have never seen him eat before and none of the other snakes I have or have had ate like this.

    I really wish I could have gotten video but I was not expecting this to happen. I am gonna try and get video next time he eats.
    That describes many of my Kings eating to be honest ...
    I had a Black and White Cali a few years ago and before I realised they were great ‘drop’ feeders I fed it using tongs ... one day it lunged at the mouse but grabbed its aluminium water dish and started to swing it around in the air for about 10 seconds . Then tried to kill me

    Ok , that last last sentence isn’t actually true but it was in feeding frenzy mode and proper vexed !


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    Last edited by Zincubus; 12-07-2019 at 03:53 AM.




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  4. #3
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    Sounds normal to me. I have to present the mouse in front of my Cali king, even sometimes having to bump it against her to get her attention or she won't know where the mouse is. She knows there is food or she wants food by lifting her head slightly and flicking her tongue but could not locate the food on her own. I think it is an age thing, who knows.

    Then I have 3 corns that would grab their pinkies however way they can. Middle of the body, the butt area, etc...they just go for it. Then they would lift it up and position their jaws to the head or rear end of the pinkie before starting to eat. My gray banded king would rattle his tail while eating if I am messing around with tank after he took the prey.

    Fyi, next time after it takes the food, try cleaning its water bowl or do what you normally do and don't wait on him. He has to get used to you. Worst case scenario he drops the mouse and stops eating. But more than likely after you leave the room, he will pick the mouse right back up and do his thing. My kings used to drop their food if I try to watch them eat. After I left the room, they ate anyway.

    Your snake reminds me of my skink. He would go into hunting mode when he eats roaches or large hornworms. He would charge, grab, shake it repeatedly, walk around with it, crushing it against the glass or the floor, then finally eats it.

  5. #4
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
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    California Kingsnake ate weirdly, should I be concerned? or is he just being himself.

    Some Kings have absolutely incredible feeding responses .... as soon as they got a whiff of food it was though a switch was flicked and they they start looking around frantically- it’s almost as though they loose their sight ( or mind) and will strike at anything or everything yet somehow manage to slither past and over the mouse !!

    I certainly wouldn’t try changing the water when some of them were in feeding mode


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    Last edited by Zincubus; 12-07-2019 at 08:53 AM.




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    I too vote "normal" -for a king snake, lol.

    All snakes are vulnerable to predators when eating....that's what he thinks YOU are, as of yet. Thrashing around with prey likely means he's making sure it's dead.

    As for 'sniffing' the prey without tongue flicks, snakes have poor vision and "test" the prey for where to grab.

    (I have seen even rosy boas that slowly test the hand that's holding them...then decide "yup, I can totally do this!" LOL)
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  8. #6
    BPnet Senior Member Sonny1318's Avatar
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    Re: California Kingsnake ate weirdly, should I be concerned? or is he just being hims

    Quote Originally Posted by Zincubus View Post
    Some Kings have absolutely incredible feeding responses .... as soon as they got a whiff of food it was though a switch was flicked and they they start looking around frantically- it’s almost as though they loose their sight ( or mind) and will strike at anything or everything yet somehow manage to slither past and over the mouse !!

    I certainly wouldn’t try changing the water when some of them were in feeding mode


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    This right here is some solid advice!
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