Aggressive King...Need some help

[Ballpython2]

My friend gave me his king snake and its super aggressive is there anyway I can calm him down?


and what is the proper way to pick up an aggressive king snake?

What species exactly of kingsnake do I have here?

And are kings usually this aggressive?

Anymore information would be greatly appreciated

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...e/100_0820.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...e/100_0821.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...e/100_0823.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...e/100_0824.jpg

[snakey68]

thats a Californian King Snake I had one exactly like it although she was a sweetie and easy to handle.

When you say its aggressive are you talking about when its being handled or in its enclosure when you go near it?

Kings are not normally aggressive if you get them as babies and nurture them, handle them regular as they mature. They can be skittish on occasion and if they are allowed to grow without interaction they from my experience can be aggressive.

They are avid feeders and if you smell like food at all they will bite repeatedly ( I speak from experience there lol )

I like them though mine was a very big female over 5ft in length but as I said a sweetie as I had her from a hatchling.

Handling an aggressive snake requires a lot of patience if you aim to get them to calm down and I sugest you get suitable gloves it cannot penetrate.

Short handling sessions may calm it down on a regular basis but I have seen Kings that have been reared with no or little handling just basically go mental when you try and hold them.

What is the snakes history from a hatchling do you know it?

[Ballpython2]

thats a Californian King Snake I had one exactly like it although she was a sweetie and easy to handle.

When you say its aggressive are you talking about when its being handled or in its enclosure when you go near it?

Kings are not normally aggressive if you get them as babies and nurture them, handle them regular as they mature. They can be skittish on occasion and if they are allowed to grow without interaction they from my experience can be aggressive.

They are avid feeders and if you smell like food at all they will bite repeatedly ( I speak from experience there lol )

I like them though mine was a very big female over 5ft in length but as I said a sweetie as I had her from a hatchling.

Handling an aggressive snake requires a lot of patience if you aim to get them to calm down and I sugest you get suitable gloves it cannot penetrate.

Short handling sessions may calm it down on a regular basis but I have seen Kings that have been reared with no or little handling just basically go mental when you try and hold them.

What is the snakes history from a hatchling do you know it?

Yall are great with the quick replies I love it.

I dont know any of the history at all, I just got it from my friend who was trying to get rid of it because of how it is.

He told me he feeds it 10 mice at a time. Even if that's something he does its not something I'm going to do because it doesnt sound healthy at all.

A king snake this size, don't you think the most it needs in a week is 3 mice?

When you go close to the tank and you run ya hand over the top of it he flicks is tongue when he gets close to the top he strikes at you.

This goes for when you run your hand on the side of the tank also sometimes not all the time.

[Argentra]

Yep, banded Cali King. Pretty too.

When you say 10 mice, was that each week or each Month??? If the former, then the snake is very overfed, the latter (more likely) and the poor dear is 'aggressive' because it's hungry!

Also, of the Kingsnakes Cali's are known to be the most prone to aggression. But the striking in the cage leads me to believe that this guy fed that poor dear once a month and it's always looking for food.

See what happens when you get him on a proper weekly schedule of ONE, two at most, adult mice at a time. NO Kingsnake should ever be so large that it would need more than 2 large mice at a single feeding.
I predict that after a month or two of weekly, regular feedings and short but regular handling (AFTER the first three feedings), he should calm down for ya.
If not... well we'll burn that bridge when it comes.

[snakey68]

Yall are great with the quick replies I love it.

I dont know any of the history at all, I just got it from my friend who was trying to get rid of it because of how it is.

He told me he feeds it 10 mice at a time. Even if that's something he does its not something I'm going to do because it doesnt sound healthy at all.

A king snake this size, don't you think the most it needs in a week is 3 mice?

When you go close to the tank and you run ya hand over the top of it he flicks is tongue when he gets close to the top he strikes at you.

This goes for when you run your hand on the side of the tank also sometimes not all the time.

If he is feeding it 10 mice at a time as in at one feeding then thats way way over the top and pretty ridiculous. What size are the mice that it is used to eating ? Please dont tell me 10 Large Mice in one sitting. Even 10 large mice a month is too much for an adult King IMO.

One large mouse a week is enough even though they will gorge on 10 if you stick them in front of it they are as I said avid and very eager feeders the King Snakes. Make sure you dont handle another snake or anything that smells like food before handling as the are confirmed snake eaters as well.

Have you read up on them ? Worth while if you have not the more you can learn the better.

He seems to be acting like he is hungry by what you describe try feeding him and see what he is like a couple of days later for handling and when you are near the tank or whatever you have him in.

Kings are very svisual snakes as well so running your hand along side will gather its interest I would not do that if I were you thats almost akin to teasing with Kings lol

Get it eating a decent sized mouse weekly see how he settless down.

[wilomn]

NO Kingsnake should ever be so large that it would need more than 2 large mice at a single feeding.

This is NOT true. I have at least a dozen Calkings that eat one or two small rats per feeding with some individuals able to take md. rats. I have MANY calkings that will eat more than 2 adult mice per feeding.

As with any other snake, size will have something to do with the determination of size and number of food items. Calkings can almost hit the 6 foot mark.

As far as your assertion of aggression, I have found them more apt to pee on anyone who picks them up than most snakes but not any more likely to bite.

Many babies are cantankerous and will both bite and spray liquids on you. They're afraid so it's acceptable, even amusing. 99% of them lose those antics in a very short time of regular handling and feeding.

Calkings are excellent pets.

[Ballpython2]

This is NOT true. I have at least a dozen Calkings that eat one or two small rats per feeding with some individuals able to take md. rats. I have MANY calkings that will eat more than 2 adult mice per feeding.

As with any other snake, size will have something to do with the determination of size and number of food items. Calkings can almost hit the 6 foot mark.

As far as your assertion of aggression, I have found them more apt to pee on anyone who picks them up than most snakes but not any more likely to bite.

Many babies are cantankerous and will both bite and spray liquids on you. They're afraid so it's acceptable, even amusing. 99% of them lose those antics in a very short time of regular handling and feeding.

Calkings are excellent pets.

I ONLY feed him 3 every five days but I'm going to move it up to four. Even if he does take four with no problem I'm not moving past four. Maybe next time I feed him on sunday I'll do hopper rats or something to close that instead of mice. below are some pictures

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...e/100_0823.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...e/100_0826.jpg

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...e/100_0832.jpg

[Ballpython2]

Well since I fed him/her they havent been out of their hiding spot so maybe the aggressiveness was just due to feeding and he may not have been fed in a while...we'll see how he acts next time he comes out.

Since he is still unpredictable i have just decided to keep him on newspaper and just do enclosure feedings

[ev477]

Sounds like you might be over-feeding him to me, three mice per feeding seems like too much, especially since the mouse you have with it looks like the same size as the snake. Maybe move up in prey size like you said, but you should definitely decrease the amount you are feeding it, three seems like way too much. It will eat it because if it's instincts...

[wilomn]

Sounds like you might be over-feeding him to me, three mice per feeding seems like too much, especially since the mouse you have with it looks like the same size as the snake. Maybe move up in prey size like you said, but you should definitely decrease the amount you are feeding it, three seems like way too much. It will eat it because if it's instincts...

Ignore this person and feed the snake more. Calkings are fully able to eat more than some people think.

3 mice, 4 mice on up to small and even med rats and of those sometimes 2 or 3 at a feeding.

When they're hungry anything that moves is food.

Of course, I only keep about 40 of them myself and I've only been breeding them for almost 20 years and over that time I've only kept a few thousand of them but hey, if you want to follow the advice of folks who have never kept them, well, you just go right ahead.

And when you want some good solid advice about your snake you let me know.