As the title says, this is my first time owning a California King Snake, actually my first snake in general >~< So I'm kind of slightly embarrassed to say that I honestly have no idea what to do. (He should be in the picture, that's when he first arrived in January, he was about to shed and did later that day[That's if the picture is there]) He is albino and I just love him xD even though he doesn't really allow me to hold him. He's about 2 1/2 years old, his actual age was unspecified but is almost 3 feet in length and will devour any mouse you put in front of him so he is not picky. Recently he went into Brumation due to the randomized weather outside freezing my room and his tank
which made me panic since I didn't know he did that and I am happy to say he did start moving again tonight(4/19/2018) Even during the brumation he still ate on saturday, he just didn't come out to do so, he kind of snatched it up and went back into his hideaway. I do use tongs to feed him just in case he wants to bite but I'm not afraid of his bites as much as I am the cats' claws(cat lives elsewhere)
But what I really wanted to know is that will his mood become a bit better? He normally doesn't mind me looking at him or making sure he's okay when I don't see him for a few days, other than giving me the stink eye. I haven't been able to hold him for a while though because he was musking a lot when I tried to. When I asked some other people about it they said "Do you pick him up, or let him come to you?" Of course I picked him up :/ everywhere I read online said that's the best way for them to get used to you. But I really didn't like the musking, the being pooped on >.> simple clean up. How should I go about this? I've tried to put my hand in his tank at least once a day(until he went into brumation I just left him alone other then checking up on him because I smelled something funky and was scared it was him, it was just my nose) So I guess my questions would be:
1.What is the best way for him to get used to me holding him?(I intentionally got him to be a therapy animal because I have depression and anxiety)
2. Will he mellow out a bit more once he's an adult? (Sometimes he will rattle his tail, but not often, only seen him do it twice but he quickly stops if I look at him. But he really only sleeps all day and sometimes moves, when I check up on him and he's out he will immediately go back to hiding)
3. How often do they shed? (I always ask him to flick his tongue once if he is gonna shed soon, and twice if he doesn't know. He doesn't flick at all so I go with undecided[I am aware they can't 'hear' me, but he does look at me when I speak to him.. or am crying because life is hard :/)
First time Cali. King Owner
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