I need some kingsnake info.

If it can't be given here I would like to know if there are any good sites like this one for kingsnakes. I know the basic husbandry but other than that I'm on my own.

Anyway my new cali stripe has eaten for me once and pooped with no problem. This past Monday I fed him again and he ate good. But today my boyfriend called me and told me that my snake threw up! Right now he has a heat lamp (UTH on it's way in mail). My boyfriends room gets really really hot and sometimes he turns his snake's lamp off. So, he did this for my snake also. But I'm thinking my snake may have gotten too cold and that is the reason for the thowing up? If too cold would they throw up that soon? I've never had to deal with a snake that regurged. He is nearly as big as my yearling corn so I fed him a hopper (went down easy). I suppose the regurg protocol would be similar with corns. I'm going to give him a day old pink next week and see how he does.

How big was the hopper compared to the snake? In diameter? I'd get Nutribac from Kathy Love. http://www.cornutopia.com Not feed him for 8-10 days. Feed a meal half the size of what was regurged- you don't have to go all the way down to pinks. Maybe a small fuzzy. Powder the mouse with Nutribac. Either cut the mouse into halves or thirds, or cut a LOT of slits down the back and both sides. You want it to be super easy to digest.

Yes, the cool temp could have caused the regurge. Or the meal could have been too large, or the snake could be going blue. It would be helpful to have a probed thermometer that records max/min temps, like you can get at Big Apple Herp, so you know what is happening with the temp, more accurately. Will you be getting a thermostat or rheostat for the UTH? (You need to).

Thanks for the info. I am getting a rheostat and a probe thermometer. It's in the mail and I'm just waiting for it all to get here along with the UTH.

The hopper was on the small side and was a tiny bit skinnier than the snake. After eating it he didn't have a large lump, but he did have a lump if you looked at him from the side. I don't think it was too big but maybe kings need smaller meals?

Next week (10 days from now) I'll buy a small fuzzie and slit it good for him. I'll also knock my boyfriend in the head and tell him he needs to be a better babysitter!

Hopefully I will have my room finished in another month so I can move all my snakes back home with me (water heater broke and flooded my bedroom).

Kingsnakes are generally less "stretchy" in the mouth than corns, so might not take as big a meal as a corn of the same size might, but if your guy ate the hopper just fine, then that is okay. I have an adult Cali king who prefers three hoppers to an adult mouse.

Hey WingedSweetheart,

First, If I could find something to add to Nanci's post I would, however I think she touched every base.

So, I am going to say the same thing Nanci did. Corns and Kings are kept in the same manner. The only difference I have found is Corns can take big meals and Kings need longer meals if that makes any sense. Maybe I should say I feed my Corns bigger meal than I do my Kings because my thinking is adult Corns feed on rodents mainly and some adult Kings mainly feed on reptiles.

That is my thinking but I am no expert.

Love the Fatman

Good news (I think). I fed my kingsnake again. This time 2 large pinkies because the pet store was out of fuzzies. He has kept them down so far. Also he shed 2 days after I fed him! I had no idea that he was getting ready to shed. I guess he was in the clear phase when I bought him because he never did get cloudy. So this may have been the reason for the regurge since I have heard of snakes that do that when fed during a shed cycle.

Hey WingedSweetheart,

I think you hit the nail on the head with the shed being it. The only time my Cali. kings have refused food is when they were in the blue phase of the shed. If they were in the clear phase they ate just fine. Now I feed my kingsnakes smaller size food but more of them then my cornsnakes. An example, if the king could take a fuzzy the king would get 2 large pinkies instead of one fuzzy.

Love the Fatman