brand new snake!

[Sophi]

Hello!

I'm new here and new to snake keeping all together.

I just got my very first snake. It's a kingsnake, we think she is female but aren't 100 percent sure. We have been calling "her" Anja. Ive kept reptiles before, bearded dragons, anoles, skinks, so I'm decently familiar with building habitats. I've been doing a good deal of research on kingsnakes but I've found some conflicting information on feedings and handling? I was hoping to get some advise, as I don't know any snake keepers and I know not to put all my trust in pet store employees.

The person we bought Anja from says that she has been eating once a week on Tuesdays And feeding on frozen and thawed pinkies. We were told she was a good eater. She's pretty tiny, I'm not sure how old she is but she's definitely not full grown. Maybe 16 inches long. Is 1 pinkie mouse a week enough for a growing snake? Should I feed her more if she will eat More?

Also I have read lots of contradictory info on how long to wait after feeding before handling? Im very hands on with my pets and I would love her to get comfortable with frequent handling and I would love to get her very tame. She's a feisty little thing, very curious and very active, she's only bitten once so far and I think it was because I startled her. Some people say to only wait a few hours but others say up to 48 hours after feeding. Of course I don't want to cause her any stress or discomfort.

Is it better to handle at night or in the day time? Also is there any way to tell for sure of gender? Is it possible to tell before they are full grown?


Any other advise is much appreciated!
Thanks so much!