Question:

King snake, biting issues?

by  |  earlier

0 LIKES UnLike

My king snake just bit me, didnt hurt too bad, but every time i put my hand in the tank it tries to bite me. the snake is around 5ft / 6ft long... please reply asap

 Tags:

   Report

8 ANSWERS


  1. Kingsnakes are notorious for basically "trying" to eat anything.  If you smell like something they might want to eat, then they will try to eat it.  I have many kingsnakes, one of them, a 7'+ Brooksi king.  Had him for years, still get tagged every once and a while...  

    Has nothing to do with feeding in the cage, or just being mean, he's just a kingsnake.

    I feed all my snakes in their enclosures except retics and burms...

    Now, with all that being said, it sounds to me like your snake is just freaked out at his new enclosure, and just needs to be left alone for a bit to get used to his new digs.  Try leaving him alone for a week.

    By the way, what kind of king?  Some kings just don't make good pets...

    Wild caught, or captive bred?  If it's wild, you're looking at a serious amount of time to tame him down.  Not to mention, most wild kings and some CBB kings will musk almost everytime you handle them...


  2. http://www.budgetwebsiteservices.co.uk/m...

    Let him get used to you and make sure his habitat is warm enough with rocks and a branch to explore.

  3. is his eating habit good,  is his tank big anough, enough water???

  4. king snakes are considered to be docile, but one should always remember that they are nervous.  Even after getting use to being handled they are still nervous by nature.    the common mistake that people make is they feed their snakes in the same tank that the snake lives in.  I feed all my snakes in a separate Rubbermaid tub with a lid.   This helps the snake NOT associate his home with feeding.   Most people drop a mouse or rat in the tank with the snake for feeding.  Well a snake will easily think that a hand coming in the tank could be food at first.   I also recommend that you use a hook to take any King snake out of his tank.  This way if he is nippy the hook gets it not you.  Once the snake has seen that there is no danger holding becomes easier.    All of my king snakes are nippy till they are out of the tank.   But once out I can hold him all day if I wanted to.  Just move slow.  And never interrupt a king snake while he is eating.

  5. maybe the snake isn't used to you yet. Let him get used to his surroundings and his tank before you try to pick him up or touch him.

  6. you only got the snake yesterday, you need to give it time to settle in and adjust to its new home, leave it alone to settle for a week, before you handle it again, and don't handle it for 48hrs after feeding as you can cause it to regurgitate its meal, it bit you out of fear, as it was wondering what the h**l was going on, just let it settle down then try to handle it slowly you need to go at a slower pace and let it settle in and realise that you mean it no harm and then it will be a bit better behaved towards you, stop putting your hand in for now and let it adjust and relax, best of luck honey Hope it all works out for you, but be patient

  7. he's probably just stressed as he has a new environment, let him get settled for a couple of days then try handling him

  8. There are a couple reasons why this can occur.

    1.The snake needs a period of orientation. Adult reptiles, especially snakes, need to adjust to their new surroundings. Try leaving him alone for a week or 2.

    2. The person who had the snake before you probably tank-fed it. You should never feed any strictly carnivorous reptile in the tank it resides in. It associates opening the tank with food. An additional tank for feeding, or even just a cardboard box should be used. After the animal has completed its meal, immediately transfer it back into the cage it resides in.

    3. The snake is not accustomed to being handled. Allow the animal to calm down in its new surroundings,  for a week or two, grab a pair of gloves, and handle it for a few minutes everyday, extending the handling period everyday.

    If the snake continues to constantly, and consistently, bite you after a few months of handling, it is most likely never going to get accustomed to you.  But, give it time. I just received a 3 year old ball python that was just used as a breeder and did not get handled very often. He is calming down, and getting used to his surroundings, it has been 3 weeks and he finally just ate, a few more, and he will be used too us handling him. Just be patient and diligent. Good luck.

Question Stats

Latest activity: earlier.
This question has 8 answers.

BECOME A GUIDE

Share your knowledge and help people by answering questions.
Unanswered Questions