what do they eat

[jhiggy69]

i just had 8 king snakes hatch completely out and they havent eaten anything yet......how long is to long before they eat there first meal and what do i feed them (they are so small)

[alessia55]

Feed them pinkie mice. When? I think it's after their first shed.

[Jlassiter]

What kind of king snakes are they?

[jaleely]

pics would be helpful! Oh, and how is the set up for them? Individual? Have you had babies before? Good luck, and we love pics!

[jhiggy69]

they are ca. kings ...how long b4 there first shed ?

[infernalis]

If all else fails, feed live anole lizards, kingsnakes cannot resist small lizards.

When my racer was a baby, all he would eat was Anoles.

[Gungirl]

Did you do any research before breeding?

[KORBIN5895]

Did you do any research before breeding?

Lol. Does it matter now?

[Gungirl]

Lol. Does it matter now?

Nope.. it doesn't. I was just asking though...

[hellosugaree]

Did you do any research before breeding?


Rhetorical question? Perhaps they were just smaller than he expected them to be. Also quite possible he did research but is second-guessing his knowledge.

To the OP, from what I know snakes usually eat after the first shed. When that normally takes place, I do not know. I'm sure somebody around here does. Good luck with your babies. We would all love pictures!!

[alessia55]

A link I found for you: Captive Care of Neonatal California Kingsnakes (http://arachnophiliac.info/burrow/kscare.htm#neo)

[TremTricolors]

Typically new born California Kingsnakes will take their first meals after their first shed which usually is 7-10 days after they hatch. Appropriate food sizes would be 1 day to 3 day old pinkie mice. They have plenty of stored energy from their yolk sacs to live a few months without eating. So if they don't eat right away don't worry just keep trying on a weekly basis. If it is 4 plus weeks from hatching and they are losing weight then you need to start trying new ways of offering food. Most California Kings will take F/T right away, but there are always those stubborn ones that will want live. Hope this helps.

[TremTricolors]

Oh forgot to mention, make sure you are housing each neonate individually otherwise you will start seeing them disappear. They are notorious for being cannibalistic as neonates.

[TremTricolors]

If all else fails, feed live anole lizards, kingsnakes cannot resist small lizards.

When my racer was a baby, all he would eat was Anoles.

Really no need to jump the gun and start feeding lizards or other food items right away. Their yolk sacs leave them with plenty of nutrients and calories to survive quite some time before eating. California Kings typically eat F/T with no problem and if F/T doesn't work typically live will do the trick.

I had a variable king (L.m.thayeri or now L.leonis) refuse food for 3 months and then was cooled for 3 months and came out of brumation eating F/T since. If it was losing a ton of weight I would have worried and tried different techniques (ei. Lizards,tease feeding,etc...) but her weight was just fine.

Racers are a whole different subject. Most are notorious for being lizard eaters anyway.

[jhiggy69]

no research ......was not expecting ....got snake last fall and mid march there was 11 eggs in her hide log one morning ,i was quite shocked but her log in tupperware dish ...9 hatched ,i have no experiance in this

[MoreliAddict]

Did you do any research before breeding?
no research ......was not expecting ....
Okay, Kat, you got your answer. Now where's the advice?

[Gungirl]

Okay, Kat, you got your answer. Now where's the advice?

Your Smarta$$ remarks can be taken else where. I do not intend to breed and never will so I feel that any advice I "could" offer might not be accurate. I was simply asking a question.

[jhiggy69]

i do have a king who should be laying in 2 to 4 weeks from now ...so this is practice i guess

[jhiggy69]

so i guess iots true that kings can save sperm....how l;ong ?

[MoreliAddict]

Your Smarta$$ remarks can be taken else where. I do not intend to breed and never will so I feel that any advice I "could" offer might not be accurate. I was simply asking a question.
You asked a rhetorical question to make the OP look/feel like an idiot if he were to have bred king snakes without doing research. That wasn't a "smarta$$" remark? And we know it was a rhetorical question because even when the OP took the time to answer your question, you ignored him to argue with me...

[hellosugaree]

You asked a rhetorical question to make the OP look/feel like an idiot if he were to have bred king snakes without doing research. That wasn't a "smarta$$" remark? And we know it was a rhetorical question because even when the OP took the time to answer your question, you ignored him to argue with me...

I hate to feed the fire, but I agree. These types of posts targeted at an OP are offensive and really detract from the forum. I am seeing it more and more. It inevitably takes things off topic as it has done here. Please try to be more considerate when posting.

[jaleely]

Okay, all things aside....it IS good that someone is asking advice. However...it IS also kind of weird that they wouldn't just google...or when they saw the eggs...google...that they would wait a long time for the eggs to hatch...and then have another pregnant snake...

[shaunyboy]

Okay, all things aside....it IS good that someone is asking advice. However...it IS also kind of weird that they wouldn't just google...or when they saw the eggs...google...that they would wait a long time for the eggs to hatch...and then have another pregnant snake...


imo its much better someone comes onto a forum and asks for experienced keepers advice

google has its place (i suppose),but its no substitute for people,who have been through the particular scenario themselves

not having a go pal

to the op
its important you house the hatchlings seperatly as has been said,they may start eating each other if you don't

cheers shaun

[KORBIN5895]

Okay, all things aside....it IS good that someone is asking advice. However...it IS also kind of weird that they wouldn't just google...or when they saw the eggs...google...that they would wait a long time for the eggs to hatch...and then have another pregnant snake...

That is the same issue I have with this situation. He has another king ready to lay in 2-4 weeks! I can see getting a pregnant snake and being in this situation but I don't understand how he can be in this situation when he already had a snake he knew was pregnant . Like Shaun said I am not having a go at anyone but I am very curious as to how he came to be in this predicament.

[Jlassiter]

imo its much better someone comes onto a forum and asks for experienced keepers advice

google has its place (i suppose),but its no substitute for people,who have been through the particular scenario themselves

not having a go pal

to the op
its important you house the hatchlings seperatly as has been said,they may start eating each other if you don't

cheers shaun

Yep....experienced keepers will provide better information than any on line cookie cutter care sheet..........

[jaleely]

Yes, experienced breeders will give you good info most of the time. So...where do all those caresheets come from? lol
I mean...when i looked up the snakes and critters i was getting...i read a LOT of care sheets ....and... other sites, etc., and looked up searches in forums (keeper's advice) The internet is pretty vast...
But like i said, i'm glad to see someone asking...this situation just seems like a weird situation...twice...

No worries shaun or anyone.

but....i mean...surely...lol

[Jlassiter]

Go to my site and read my care sheet for kings....it is NOTHING like the TFH books or cookie cutter care sheets you find on most sites......

Most care sheets will keep your snake alive.....but there is a difference between just living and thriving in captivity.......

Coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Btw...my care sheets for all Mexican kings will be on reptileschannel.com soon.....along with some elaborate info in The July issue of Reptiles magazine.....

[Skumbo]

Two pregnant snakes with no research? Doesn't sound like a mistake to me. Everyone else has put in helpful info, but its situations like this that upset me withing the reptile community from the OP to the bickering in the answers.

[exwizard]

imo its much better someone comes onto a forum and asks for experienced keepers advice

google has its place (i suppose),but its no substitute for people,who have been through the particular scenario themselves

not having a go pal

to the op
its important you house the hatchlings seperatly as has been said,they may start eating each other if you don't

cheers shaun

Very sensible

[jhiggy69]

how do i get rid of this thread ? (im sure everyone is tired of looking at it ,i know i am)

[KORBIN5895]

how do i get rid of this thread ? (im sure everyone is tired of looking at it ,i know i am)

Yeah I hear you. It's really tough when people point out your mistakes.