Help! My previously sweet and calm male California Kingsnake has become a total Hannibal Lector! He strikes at anything that moves and wants to bite and constrict me. I've had him for four years (since his hatching) and he's never behaved like this. I've used him in many previous children's presentations, but I sure can't now! He strikes at us through the glass and sometimes even at his own tail! He seems healthy: good eater (adult f/t mouse once per week), complete one-piece sheds, clear eyes and nose, no signs of infection or mouth rot. Do you guys think he wants to mate or something? This behavior started about 2 weeks ago. He does not look preshed (and even in the past a shed has never made him THIS grouchy). Should I take him to the vet?
Celeste
Hi, BugMom
that *is* very strange behavior. I have only seen that kind of behavior in three situations: an animal that was *starving* (which doesn't appear to be the case with yours), an animal that was very old and was going senile, and in animals with brain tumors. (Not counting my Prehensile-tailed skinks, where the males get psycho-protective when their females are pregnant, and all members of a family group are psycho-protective of new babies. But those are reptiles which live in social groups, which is not the case with kingsnakes).
He doesn't have mites or something, does he? That can make 'em crabby, too...
If he isn't losing weight, then internal parasites are not likely.
I vote for a trip to the vet, including a fecal exam and possibly including x-rays. But if it *is* something like a brain tumor, your options may be limited...
Sorry I can't be of more assistance (besides emotional support)! Good luck with him! Please let us know how he does.
-- Celeste
BugMom
Thanks, I'm going to bring him in tomorrow and see. He's a healthy weight and I keep the cage immaculate. We've never had a mite problem. Can you see them? I don't see any crawlies on him or anything. Do snakes commonly get brain tumors? I hope that's not it . . .
What
Mites would look like little shiny blobs where scales meet and around the eyes. You would probably notice them even at just a glance.
Another possible reason is stress, has there been a recent increase of activity in the area lately?
BugMom
I don't see anything resembling mites, then. He has been soaking more, so I gave him a humid hide in case he just felt dried out. My son does have a friend who is kind of a punk and he might have teased him, but would a couple teasings really change his whole disposition for weeks? I don't let that kid in the house anymore because he also teased the dog and turned the tortoise upside down just to watch him struggle to turn over again. Future serial killer. I did read online that an early mite infestation is hard to see and that they become more visible as it progresses, so maybe. Can they get mites from f/t mice? He hasn't been in contact with anything alive except for me and the kids and we have strict hygiene when moving between animals. I just don't know . . .
Celeste
What a horrible child! It's frightening how many like that are out there (and how oblivious or unconcerned their parents are...)
No, your snake *cannot* get mites from f/t mice. For one thing, the freezing would kill them, and for another they only parasitize reptiles. They are usually either transferred when someone handles an infected animal and then an uninfected one, or else they can also crawl from cage to cage (they can travel something like 30 feet in one day!) You would see them as tiny black specks (about the size of flakes of pepper), all over the snake's cage or on your hands after handling the snake. Oh, another good place to see them is in your snake's water dish. If there are no little black specks in his water dish, he probably does not have mites.
I can't imagine what a little juvenile delinquent could do to a friendly snake to make him suddenly become that aggressive, so you still might want to rule out any medical conditions... Is everything else O.K.? His temperature, humidity, lighting, etc.?
You had said he was only four years old, so it isn't likely to be senility. So right now it sounds like it was either that rotten kid, or some kind of nervous system problem. Could that kid have *injured* the snake? If he caused some kind of brain injury, that could definitely explain the sudden behavior change. Just teasing, unless it was over a prolonged time period, would not be likely to cause that. But if he hit the snake on the head or something, that could definitely cause it...
-- Celeste
BugMom
No, the boy didn't have physical contact with the snake, just through the glass.
I just got back from the vet and her opinion is that he is in optimal health. X-rays, blood-work, and physcial exam all perfectly normal. No mites or infection either. He appears to be suffering from a surplus of hormones. The behavior change started at the same time the warm weather did, so I guess that is possible. She said it may pass with the season. Or it won't. She is going to research some other possibilities for me too. I really trust this lady -- she saved my bird when she was egg bound and helped my dog get past his stroke. She's a smart cookie. Meanwhile, I bought me a pair of gloves.
Celeste
Well, good luck with him! Maybe you can find him a girlfriend...? (And do your future shows with the female instead).
-- Celeste
BugMom
Yeah, I guess that's what I'll shoot for. She'll be a lucky lady -- he's a truly handsome guy, but sheesh, us chicks always go for the bad boys anyway . . .
I did read online that an early mite infestation is hard to see and that they become more visible as it progresses, so maybe. Can they get mites from f/t mice? He hasn't been in contact with anything alive except for me and the kids and we have strict hygiene when moving between animals. I just don't know . . .