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Posted by jusmebabe on April 29, 2003 at 12:03:19:

In Reply to: New to the Forum posted by DeadFrog on April 29, 2003 at 01:27:30:

:Hey everyone,

:My name is Mark and I have never posted before, although I subscribe to the Uromastyx mailing list. I have had a California Kingsnake (I believe some would call it a banana) for about a year now. And here's the thing: I've read about ten different care sheets, and they all seem to be over-the-top. Here's what I mean:

:They make a big deal out of temperature
:- but I provide no heat source, and she seems to thrive in room temperature
:- it's gone down to 45 degrees inside my apartment this winter without a problem (except the feeder mouse froze to death, lol)
:They stress feeding dead prey of size 1.5X snake girth max
:- I have fed mine live prey, and she's never been bitten
:- She's eaten prey twice her girth
:- She's even eaten while in the shedding process
:They say to avoid crowds and the smell of prey on your hands
:- I have handled her without incident among crowds many times
:- I have handled her immediately after handling my Uro (lizards) without incident

:I keep her on T-Rex gravel and if some gets in her mouth, she just spits it out. So are these care sheets a little too cautious? Are Kingsnakes just very hardy? Or do I just have the greatest snake of all time, who needs virtually no care?

:I am making some changes anyway,
:Mark

Keep feeding live prey. I look foreward to your next post asking "Should i take my snake to the vet a mouse bit him".
Just because he survives on rocks doesn't mean he likes it.
Second post "My snake swallowed a rock and now he's lathargic what should i do"?
He may be ok for now but doesn't mean he doesn't need heat. Reptiles live through alot of crap that we as keepers put them through. 3rd post "My snake has a respitory problem what could have caused this should i take him to the vet"?
Holding a kingsnake with the smell of mouse on your hands is not wise but keep doing it heck why not. I have a friend with a 11 foot retic i'd like you to try holding with the smell of rat on you lol..

People can survive under the conditions you described but i bet it would be a grumpy, cold and, uncomfortable pperson.. I just hope you have money for a vet when you have a problem cause soon enough you will...

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New to the Forum electricbluescat 04/29/03 (0)