Pics of my (relatively) new baby

[Wharf Rat]

Hi all, just wanted to post a few pics of my Khaleesi. Approx. 9 month old Cali king. Got her at Repticon in Ft Lauderdale in April. Very spur of the moment decision, but the price was right and she's a cutie :) I have a ball python also that Ive had for about 19 years... Khaleesi is only my 2nd snake, but I do plan on getting more. The addiction is taking off :) Set up is a work in progress, but she seems to be doing very well. Eats well and she has shed twice with no issues. She is so different from what I am used to with the ball (Arthur)... I have a lot to learn about king snakes, but am looking forward to that journey. Anyway... Here she is (if I can figure out how to post pics that is lol)

[EL Ziggy]

Very nice snake you have there Wharf. I've been told that repticarpet isn't a very good bedding for them though because it harbors bacteria. You may want to consider Aspen or cocohusk. Kingsnakes are awesome btw. Mine are pretty tame and both are great eaters. Best of luck with the new addition.

[Wharf Rat]

Thanks for the comment. I've been a little concerned about substrate honestly. I just switched to the repticarpet about two weeks ago. I was just using newspaper, which was fine, but I hate the way it looks. I use newspaper for my ball python, but want to change his out too.

Question... in both cases I feed them in their vivs... is aspen or cocohusk an issue in that regard? I want something simple, easy to clean, but safe for feeding.

The kingsnake is very tame, so far, but she's so small. Curious how she will be in a couple years. I handle her a few times a week for maybe 10 or 15 minutes, and plan on keeping that up, so hopefully she will stay relatively docile and used to me. She is so hyper compared to my ball python LoL

[MH4C]

Some people (especially here in the netherlands) claim that ingestion of bedding can be a cause of impaction in snakes. What I've read on this is that in (almost) all cases where this happened the underlying cause was a husbandry mistake, mostly too low humidity or heat. I feed all my snakes inside their enclosures, 3 are on coco husk, one on aspen, and I've never had any impaction problems whatsoever.

The choice between aspen and coco husk is really only aesthetical in my opinion, as coco husk is darker, which looks especially nice with albino cali kings (mine are both on husk actually).

[mygabriella]

I used to have one of these and the little ****** would bite and bite and bite and wouldnt let go. He just wouldnt be tame!! but very pretty!

[milk man]

That's a really nice snake. Reminds me of my first snake with those pink bands.

I would switch to something else as Ziggy suggested. It is much easier to spot clean aspen or reptibark. Congrats and good luck.

[sharthun]

Cool snake!

[Wharf Rat]

Thanks all for the comments :) I have to get get her a fuzzy mouse today at the reptile shop, so I will talk to them about cocohusk... I agree that the darker color verses the aspen will look better since she is so pale. Once I get her set up with the new substrate I will post some new pics.

One thing I am wondering in regards to feeding... She is an aggressive eater. She will take a fuzzy right out of my hand, so stress does not seem to be an issue. I am wondering if I should put the fuzzy in a small open tupperware container or a small dish inside her viv, then when she feeds she will not be directly on the substrate, and ingestion of the substrate would not be an issue. Does that make any sense?

[Lankyrob]

I feed my snakes directly on the substrate, not had any issues

[EL Ziggy]

I feed my snakes in a tupperware container inside their tanks but I did feed directly in the tank once. I was a little concerned about substrate ingestion too but after reading a bit more I don't think its a major problem. I'm more worried about them becoming too cage aggressive as they get bigger so I'll probably stick with the separate feeding bins or consider hook training.

[Wharf Rat]

Thanks for the info Lankyrob.

Ziggy - Its funny, my ball python has been feeding in his enclosure for nearly 19 years, and was never aggressive, but in the last 3 months or so, he's changed completely. Every time I open the front doors, or even walk near the enclosure he gets VERY aggressive. He strikes at everything! I have to restrain him just to change his water, or for anything. Once I get him out of the tank he's fine in my hands, but now the ONLY way I can get him out is with a snake hook. Maybe I will post or search on the ball python section for tips/insights... Its weird. And a little scary LoL

[Wharf Rat]

OK... so I went with coco husk. And she is digging it in a big way LoL I am afraid I may never find her again LoL She is burrowing like a mole, peaking her head out every now and then. Very cute. But now I have no idea where she is LoL

Anyway, I do have kind of a stupid question. Cleaning the coco husk. In regards to spot cleaning do you guys dig through the substrate to find waste, or just pick it off the surface? I figured I would spot clean daily and change it out completely every 2 or 3 weeks? What do you think? I always used newspaper in the past, which was easy, but definitely like the look of the coco husk, and like I said, she seems to love it.

[EL Ziggy]

Hey Wharf- can show me/us some pics of your setup with the new cocohusk? I'm thinking of switching to cocohusk from aspen. I spot clean the aspen as needed and switch it out completely every month. I'm not sure if the cocohusk needs to be cleaned more or less often.

[Mikoh4792]

OK... so I went with coco husk. And she is digging it in a big way LoL I am afraid I may never find her again LoL She is burrowing like a mole, peaking her head out every now and then. Very cute. But now I have no idea where she is LoL

Anyway, I do have kind of a stupid question. Cleaning the coco husk. In regards to spot cleaning do you guys dig through the substrate to find waste, or just pick it off the surface? I figured I would spot clean daily and change it out completely every 2 or 3 weeks? What do you think? I always used newspaper in the past, which was easy, but definitely like the look of the coco husk, and like I said, she seems to love it.

Depends on size of the feces or urates. Just an example: for my baby-juvenile snakes I usually just scoop out the mess and an inch around it, and all the way to the bottom of the enclosure, since fluids seep down. For bigger snakes I'd obviously have to scoop more out. Just make sure everything is out or mold can grow.

[Concept9]

Congo rats on the new King, your in for some fun.

I wouldn't be concerned with it or how you feed it. Kinsnakes will eat anywhere any time.

They are like Great white sharks when it comes to eating.

I once had one of my Kings eat while he was sitting on my shoulder accidently. I was drying his rat off and he decided not to wait for me to put him down and feed him, he decided to feed himself. :)

[Wharf Rat]

Its still a very basic set up... added green construction paper to cover sides and rear glass. There's a UTH under the brown hide on left side. Khaleesi is in there somewhere too LoL

[Wharf Rat]

Congo rats on the new King, your in for some fun.

I wouldn't be concerned with it or how you feed it. Kinsnakes will eat anywhere any time.

They are like Great white sharks when it comes to eating.

I once had one of my Kings eat while he was sitting on my shoulder accidently. I was drying his rat off and he decided not to wait for me to put him down and feed him, he decided to feed himself. :)

LoL

I was shocked at what an aggressive feeder she is. Totally unconcerned with my being there. On occasion she takes it right out of my hand. Feeding her live fuzzy mice once a week now. When I bump her up to hoppers and larger will most likely feed pre-killed.

[EL Ziggy]

LoL

I was shocked at what an aggressive feeder she is. Totally unconcerned with my being there. On occasion she takes it right out of my hand. Feeding her live fuzzy mice once a week now. When I bump her up to hoppers and larger will most likely feed pre-killed.

Wharf- Khaleesi is still on fuzzys? How many do you feed her weekly? She looks like she could easily take hoppers. My Cal King (Caesar) is about the same age/size (90g) and he's about to move up to weanlings. He inhales hoppers. My MBK (Sasha Fierce) in on fuzzys now and she's just 3 months old (24g). Have you considered f/t prey?

[Wharf Rat]

Ya think hoppers? I've been feeding her one fuzzy a week, except last week gave her two as they were a little on the small side. She ate em down no problem. I do not know her weight, but she's about 18 to 20 inches long and about as big around as a Sharpie marker.

As to f/t... I have a great reptile shop about a 10 minute drive from home. Get my medium rats there for the ball python, which I dispatch right before feeding. When I bump the king up to hoppers I will do the same. F/t is (I think) more expensive. I pay about $4 for 1 medium rat and 1 fuzzy now. BUT, when I move to Georgia it may be a lot harder to find proper sized food items... may have to mail order f/t... don't know yet.

Maybe on her next feed (Monday) I will try a smallish hopper, pre killed, and see what she has to say about it lol. I will let you know.

[Mikoh4792]

Ya think hoppers? I've been feeding her one fuzzy a week, except last week gave her two as they were a little on the small side. She ate em down no problem. I do not know her weight, but she's about 18 to 20 inches long and about as big around as a Sharpie marker.

As to f/t... I have a great reptile shop about a 10 minute drive from home. Get my medium rats there for the ball python, which I dispatch right before feeding. When I bump the king up to hoppers I will do the same. F/t is (I think) more expensive. I pay about $4 for 1 medium rat and 1 fuzzy now. BUT, when I move to Georgia it may be a lot harder to find proper sized food items... may have to mail order f/t... don't know yet.

Maybe on her next feed (Monday) I will try a smallish hopper, pre killed, and see what she has to say about it lol. I will let you know.

If your king is about as thick as a sharpie I'd feed it large fuzzies, small hoppers

[Heather7875]

Beautiful King you have!!

[EL Ziggy]

Beautiful King you have!!

Nice looking King you have there too Heather ;)

[sharthun]

Darn i'm going to have to give coco husk a try!:D

[Wharf Rat]

Thanks Heather :)

Sharthun... I definitely like the cocohusk. Easy to clean, snake loves it, only problem is I never get to see her anymore cause she is always underneath LoL But if she's "happy" I'm happy.

[sharthun]

Thanks Heather :)

Sharthun... I definitely like the cocohusk. Easy to clean, snake loves it, only problem is I never get to see her anymore cause she is always underneath LoL But if she's "happy" I'm happy.

Lol

Steve