A Few Question About My Snakes

hutt132 · 11-06-13, 08:57 PM

I have several question and I'm not sure what section to post this in but since I have questions about food I'll post it here.

I have a very small Scarlet King Snake (for about a month) and a Corn Snake (for about a week) that I found outside my house. I keep them in the same reptile tank that is fairly large with some nice mulch and paper towel tubes with a water bowl. The King Snake likes to bury itself in the bottom of the mulch and the Corn Snakes likes to hang out in the paper towel tube. I have a lamp with a 60W light bulb that I keep shining down on one side on the tank.

Is it very bad to keep them in the same tank? Will the Corn Snake try to eat the King Snake? What should I feed both of them, specifically the King Snake since it's so little? I've just been throwing worms in there, but they don't seem to be eating them.

How much do little Scarlet King Snakes sell for anyway and are they legal to have in Florida?

Kera · 11-06-13, 09:07 PM

Kingsnakes are carnivorous. if you are gonna keep them, get separate tanks. If you can't, let them go. But they're both very pretty

Mikoh4792 · 11-06-13, 09:07 PM

No the king will eat the cornsnake no doubt about it. Kingsnakes are ophiophagus, meaning they eat other snakes.(Your kingsnake is smaller right now, but I can see it trying once it grows)

Mikoh4792 · 11-06-13, 09:08 PM

Feed the mice.

alessia55 · 11-06-13, 09:11 PM

Both are legal in Florida. They are both pretty affordable snakes. I would recommend you release these back into the wild, and get a captive-bred snake if you're interested in keeping a pet. Where in FL are you? If you're interested in getting a captive-bred snake, here are the upcoming FL reptile expos:

Nov. 9-10
Jacksonville, FL
Repticon Jacksonville, UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Drive, Info: 863-268-4273;info@repticon.com;Repticon Home Page

Nov. 23-24
Ft Lauderdale, FL
Repticon Ft Lauderdale, War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE 8th Street, Info: 863-268-4273;info@repticon.com;Repticon Home Page

Dec. 7-8
Orlando, FL
Repticon Orlando, Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Dr. , Info: 863-268-4273;info@repticon.com;Repticon Home Page

**EL Ziggy** · 11-06-13, 09:16 PM

Im no expert but I can tell you that they definitely shouldn't be housed together. Its just a matter of time before something bad happens there. I also think you should probably release them near wherever you found them. Wild caught snakes don't always adjust well to captivity and they could also have parasites. If you do decide to keep them you can try feeding them frozen thawed pinky or fuzzy mice. Im not sure about the laws of your state regarding the keeping of native reptiles, you shoukd do a little research on that. Best wishes.

hutt132 · 11-07-13, 09:59 AM

How would I go about feeding the little King snake mice? Do they sell frozen mice that small for it?

Terranaut · 11-07-13, 10:02 AM

Yup. Baby snakes eat baby mice. They are called pinkies.

hutt132 · 11-07-13, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terranaut

Yup. Baby snakes eat baby mice. They are called pinkies.

I'll go to my local PetSmart and hope they have some.

Also, what do those numbers next to pets in people's signatures mean?

drumcrush · 11-07-13, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hutt132

I'll go to my local PetSmart and hope they have some.

Also, what do those numbers next to pets in people's signatures mean?

Male. Female. Unsexed

formica · 11-07-13, 01:23 PM

release them and buy captive bred, you will find them much easier to work with

and really there is little point trying to sell a baby WC King or Corn, they are very cheap when captive bred, and are far less likely to refuse food, among other things

and as said already, King Snakes eat snakes! the corn is in mortal peril.

mistersprinkles · 11-10-13, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by formica

release them and buy captive bred,
King Snakes eat snakes! the corn is in mortal peril.

Agreed. These snakes are wild animals and deserve to be in the wild. Imagine being born outdoors and only knowing the outdoors all your life, and suddenly being locked in an apartment. You'd go nuts because it was alien to you.

Buy a snake that was born in a captive environment. It'll eat better, wont be likely to harbor internal parasites, will have better temperment, and you can feel better about the whole situation.

As far as the kingsnake eating the cornsnake, that's a very real possibility. You'd be surprised at the size of prey that some snakes TRY to take down. Even if it was unsuccessful at swallowing the corn, the King could TRY, and kill the corn in the process. And then we get into the morality of having caused the snake's death and things get worse.

drumcrush · 11-10-13, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistersprinkles

Agreed. These snakes are wild animals and deserve to be in the wild. Imagine being born outdoors and only knowing the outdoors all your life, and suddenly being locked in an apartment. You'd go nuts because it was alien to you

I do agree with you, as well as everyone else about releasing them however, they're babies. They havent been out their "all their lives," so its not as bad keeping them as it would be for a sub adult or an adult even. This is just my opinion, no bashing would be nice.

hutt132 · 11-07-13, 07:16 PM

I got some small pinkies. They look pretty big compared to my king snake, the snake looks like a worm. Should I cut them up, and if so, how should I cut them?

**EL Ziggy** · 11-07-13, 08:16 PM

No need to cut them up hutt. Snakes can eat prey 1.5 to 2x their girth. Just completely unthaw the pinky in hot tap water and either offer it to the snake on tongs or just drop it in the tank and leave it. If the snake is hungry enough it'll eat. Good luck.