Is this behavior normal/healthy in a snake? (New snake owner)

[Saika]

Hi guys, sorry but I don't know where or who else to ask. I just got a desert kingsnake a few days ago. He was extremely calm at the pet store and let me hold him. I took him home where I already had a terrarium set up with 2 hides, water, the hot side during the day is around 85-90 degrees and the cool side is about 75. It is a 40 gallon terrarium with lots of (fake) leaves and a fake cactus that he loves (lol...) I have a hygrometer as well and the humidity is around 40-60 at any given time depending on the day. I believe he is about 1 year old. He has clear eyes, no mites, healthy body.

However I am worried. He seems very calm... Which is great, but he seems so shy. Not a mean bone in his little body.I have left him alone for a few days and will fees him soon but at the sight of anyone he starts to slowly go backwards and hides. But he's very slow and relaxed even when hiding from someone. Is this normal? I've heard king snakes are usually aggressive. He has never bitten, threatened , or musked on anyone. When I change his water bowl he will stick his head out slightly from his hide and sniff and stay still, but I do not disturb him in his hide for now... Is this just how he is or is he not feeling well? Hes so gentle and shy that it worries me.

[Rattlehead]

Hi! I think you don't have anything to worry about. He might be getting used to his new surroundings. As long as he eats/sheds/poops and you have the right temperatures and humidity, he'll be great. My kingsnake was really relaxed when he had a few months old, now is my most active (and hungry) snake.

[Andy_G]

Yes, it is normal. You are a giant compared to him and he doesn't know whether you are a threat or not at this point. He may do this on occasion for as long as he lives and it is simply an instinctual response to hide rather than stand ground and defend. His whole world just changed. Give him a chance to settle in before you worry, leave him alone as much as possible for the next couple weeks and be sure that he eats a few times in a row before you attempt any handling.

[Saika]

Thank you so much for your advice guys!!! I really appreciate it! I fed him and he ate like a champ and even went to ask for more. But now I have a new problem.... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. He's very skittish which is to be expected but he runs from me at the sight. If I open the terrarium, he seems to borderline panic (unless there's food). I thought maybe I could play with the substrate and get him used to my scent a little. He stayed still but then I lightly touched him and he rattled his tail and quickly tried running to the other side of the tank. I feel awful that I stressed him out. This was approximately 35 hours after he ate. I only touched him. Seeing him panic like that and rubbing his nose against the glass to get away makes me kind of scared for when I have to handle him. And he's really fast too! How do I do this? Should I not touch him like that? What did I do wrong? How can I handle him in the future and actually pick him up if he's speeding away with just a touch? I'm sorry guys...

I change his water daily. Will it stress him out for me to do that or should I wait 2 days?

[Tiny Boidae]

Thank you so much for your advice guys!!! I really appreciate it! I fed him and he ate like a champ and even went to ask for more. But now I have a new problem.... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. He's very skittish which is to be expected but he runs from me at the sight. If I open the terrarium, he seems to borderline panic (unless there's food). I thought maybe I could play with the substrate and get him used to my scent a little. He stayed still but then I lightly touched him and he rattled his tail and quickly tried running to the other side of the tank. I feel awful that I stressed him out. This was approximately 35 hours after he ate. I only touched him. Seeing him panic like that and rubbing his nose against the glass to get away makes me kind of scared for when I have to handle him. And he's really fast too! How do I do this? Should I not touch him like that? What did I do wrong? How can I handle him in the future and actually pick him up if he's speeding away with just a touch? I'm sorry guys...

I change his water daily. Will it stress him out for me to do that or should I wait 2 days?

Even my sluggish sand boas will get all worked up and try and dig away when they see me coming, and it's something all of my snakes do when I initially go in after them. My Baird's Rat Snake, for example, I've had him for about two months and while he got over his musking phase after a few weeks, he'll still speed off in a hurry and entangle himself in the nearest wire, and when I go to touch him his tail starts buzzing, but after I get him out he's as sweet as can be and oh so calm. Snakes don't work quite the same as you and I, and you have to be patient and understanding with them or else you'll never have a proper relationship with the animal. Just work with him at his pace and I'm sure you'll have a sweet snake for a long time!

But as for your questions, my snakes will pause for a few seconds and "s" up, flicking their tongues and try to figure out what's going on. I'll just slowly and gently pick them up from underneath, scooping them up, although sometimes they still panic and flee to the other side of the cage. Don't chase them with your hand, but don't let them have the final say either. Just wait for them to get over themselves and then go in and quickly, but gently, pick them up. I know they're pretty quick in their enclosures, but they don't ever stay that way in your hands. Also, what I do with my water dishes is just fill a cup up and pour it into their cage. I clean the water dishes once a week, unless of course someone soils it or pushes a glob of dirt in. You should put his needs before his comfort. If the water needs to be refilled, try to do so in a way that minimizes stress, but don't put it off completely.

[Rattlehead]

Thank you so much for your advice guys!!! I really appreciate it! I fed him and he ate like a champ and even went to ask for more. But now I have a new problem.... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. He's very skittish which is to be expected but he runs from me at the sight. If I open the terrarium, he seems to borderline panic (unless there's food). I thought maybe I could play with the substrate and get him used to my scent a little. He stayed still but then I lightly touched him and he rattled his tail and quickly tried running to the other side of the tank. I feel awful that I stressed him out. This was approximately 35 hours after he ate. I only touched him. Seeing him panic like that and rubbing his nose against the glass to get away makes me kind of scared for when I have to handle him. And he's really fast too! How do I do this? Should I not touch him like that? What did I do wrong? How can I handle him in the future and actually pick him up if he's speeding away with just a touch? I'm sorry guys...

I change his water daily. Will it stress him out for me to do that or should I wait 2 days?

Avoid any direct interaction with your snake for the period of digestion (usually ~48 hours, depending on food amount) to avoid stress or regurgitation, which is pretty bad.

[Saika]

Even my sluggish sand boas will get all worked up and try and dig away when they see me coming, and it's something all of my snakes do when I initially go in after them. My Baird's Rat Snake, for example, I've had him for about two months and while he got over his musking phase after a few weeks, he'll still speed off in a hurry and entangle himself in the nearest wire, and when I go to touch him his tail starts buzzing, but after I get him out he's as sweet as can be and oh so calm. Snakes don't work quite the same as you and I, and you have to be patient and understanding with them or else you'll never have a proper relationship with the animal. Just work with him at his pace and I'm sure you'll have a sweet snake for a long time!

But as for your questions, my snakes will pause for a few seconds and "s" up, flicking their tongues and try to figure out what's going on. I'll just slowly and gently pick them up from underneath, scooping them up, although sometimes they still pancutie. d flee to the other side of the cage. Don't chase them with your hand, but don't let them have the final say either. Just wait for them to get over themselves and then go in and quickly, but gently, pick them up. I know they're pretty quick in their enclosures, but they don't ever stay that way in your hands. Also, what I do with my water dishes is just fill a cup up and pour it into their cage. I clean the water dishes once a week, unless of course someone soils it or pushes a glob of dirt in. You should put his needs before his comfort. If the water needs to be refilled, try to do so in a way that minimizes stress, but don't put it off completely.

Thank you again! I guess that's just how they are huh :p I got him out of his enclosure once successfully and he calmed down. Then he tried crawling into my sleeve haha! My friend who has kept snakes before (news to me), picked him up before he knew what was happening but he didn't bite, musk or anything. Thanks for your response, it really does help for me to know that sometimes they're just like that. He always gets dirt in his waterbowl somehow so I always clean it out.

And thank you for your response Rattlehead :) He actually left me a big present this morning hahahaha!! In a few days I will feed him again. I'll wait longer next time to handle him, thank you!

Here's a picture of the cutie. Oh they're not flipped the right way but close enough! Thanks for all your help everyone!