need some gen info(cal king)

mosammy121 · 06-24-02, 10:21 AM

just left a deposit on a young apprx 13"king snake,i currently have a pair of ball pythons and they are great,i have all the basic info but am looking for some exp advice/opinions.

gunnerslakeshor · 06-24-02, 10:31 PM

Im no pro but ill take a shot at it.
What do you want to know
( i own 3 Cal Kings) and looking for more .lol
Phil

AzR@k · 06-25-02, 12:32 AM

lol.....i one 2 u got me beat by 1 phil....but i do know a fair bit....and if i can get the sick male all fixed up then i will know even more!!!

mosammy121 · 06-25-02, 06:56 AM

well my questions are 1-will it bite?if so will it eventually stop?2-growth rate,do they grow fast?oh! and being that they eat other snakes can they be housed near each other,in other words will the scent of the other snakes make him more aggressive?that's pretty much all for now.thanx

AzR@k · 06-25-02, 09:49 AM

well my questions are 1-will it bite?well they can i my self have never been biten, but suposivly it feels like velcrow.
2-growth rate,do they grow fast? well i am not to sure my female is almost 2yrs and she is almost 3 feet.
and about the housing mine are housed side by side and no problems

mosammy121 · 06-25-02, 11:22 AM

perfect thanx.

AzR@k · 06-25-02, 01:12 PM

GLAD I COULD BE OF HELP o>

gunnerslakeshor · 06-26-02, 01:57 AM

Moesammy
Will they bite?
Most young snakes bite, its normal and should disappear as it gets older with short handleing sessions. Ive been tagged a couple time's (my fault) nothing serious kinda tickled.lol
Growth rate?
The more you feed them the faster they grow small meals are best and easier to diagest ( dont power feed to much or youll wind up with a fat snake not good )
Houseing ?
I house mine on top of each other in seperate vivariums there fine that way.Never house kings together or youll wind up with only one king (except breeding time after a good cooling off) But if you have other types of snakes wash your hands when going from kings to say corns and vise a versa they can sent each other off your hands .Drives them bolth nuts .lol
Hope this is what your looking for
Phil

mosammy121 · 06-26-02, 07:45 AM

yeah that's exactly what i'm looking for thanx.could you please explain power feeding?and why someone would do this.

jason h · 06-26-02, 07:53 AM

power feeding is giving way more food to them then is nessesary some breeders powerfeed to get there snakes to breeding size faster,IMO this is not a good idea and i believe it will cause problems for the snake in the long run do to organs not growing as fast as others etc,and will cut down there life span mind you this is my opinion not researched facts.

mosammy121 · 06-26-02, 10:18 AM

well i fed 2 frozen pinkys to him last noght is that to much?he a lil over 12"s.oh and about how long will it take to reach the 2 ft range?i mean i wanted a really young one but he's so tiny compared to my BP"s,just wondering.

gunnerslakeshor · 06-26-02, 10:22 AM

Mosammy
Power feeding is a way of putting weight and length on your snake you just keep giveing food everyday (as Jason has said its not recommended its tough on a snake) but i do stand by what i said previuosly small meals 2-3 pink mice and rats are best for smaller snakes 2 times a week its not over doing it and its easy on diagestion because the hair and bones are much softer than adults, Dont be in a hurry for it to grow up it all takes time and the results are well worth the wait.
By the way when you feed your snakes try not to do it in its encloser itll get used to everytime the door opens foods comeing and CAN make it a nippy snake. (jmo).
Phil

gunnerslakeshor · 06-26-02, 10:22 PM

Mosammy
Yep your on track there 2 pinkys is a good belly full thatll keep him happy for about 5 days then he,ll be looking for more .lol
Once he reach's about 24" you can move up to fuzzy or even hopper mice. Its a good idea your feeding frozen thawed prey by the way.
He'll get to 2 ft in about 5 - 7 mnths depends on how much you feed and the temps you keep him at 80 to 85 thru the day and 75 at night is about ideal slightly higher temps over the winter unless your cooling an adult for breeding in which case you gradually drop the temp to close to 50 and keep it there for roughly 3 mnths . but that another story lol.
Hope this helps .
Phil

mosammy121 · 06-27-02, 07:22 AM

thanx guy's keep it coming,just a couple more things,whats the best way to thaw out a pinky,i just let it sit in some warm water as recommended by a reptile shop owner that i know,but he has a history of NOT KNOWIN SH@# so i'm alil worried i did it wrong,also and i hope i don't sound like a wimp,but what do i do if he bites me?how do i get him off w/out hurting him or myself(not that 13" cal king will kill me)but i do worry i'll hurt him.Any advice?

thanx again guy's

sam

gunnerslakeshor · 06-27-02, 08:40 AM

Mosammy
Your doing it right , Useing warm water to thaw out mice is the best way .
Try not to feed them to your snake to hot though warm to the touch is fine.
Bite's not to worry if and when it does dont rip your hand away you can pull his little teeth out , and that can cause infection in the snakes mouth. He,ll let go on his own usually right away.
(it doesnt hurt anyways there just lil guys ) .lol
Hope this helps
Phil