Still don't think the snake was given proper TLC. He apparently had bought the milksnake for $20 on a manager's special and he really wasn't feeling the snake so I offered to take if off his hands. So the snake goes down my arm up the customer's arm, around the back of his neck, and down his other arm back to me.Ī few years later, I'm at another petco and start talking to the reptile guy whom I knew had a red tail boa. I warned the customer there was a high probability of a bite and he was ok with it. I had gloves on and he hadn't attempted to bite me yet. One day after 2-3 months a customer came in while I was handling the snake and asked if he could handle him. I eventually did start using gloves(a pair of mechanic gloves from home depot is fine, I have heavy duty work gloves which don't allow him to get through, but reduces dexterity for keeping hold). He was wirey to say the least and eventually realized I wasn't letting him go and we were going through this same routine until he completely calmed down. 1-2x a week for a month I took him out of the enclosure and just let him bite and skunk me until he tired out or I got tired of getting bit(21 bite marks was the most I counted, the bites lessened after that). So after I've worked there a few months and have been learning/working with the snakes, I take it upon myself to "tame the snake". At the time I was one of about 5 employees(about 1/3 of the store) in the store that didn't own or have care knowledge of snakes. Truthfully, I think the snake needed some TLC and a bigger enclosure. I worked at a Petco 10ish years ago and there was a tangerine milksnake in the store which no one wanted to handle cause it had an "attitude". Here is the long version of the tangerine milksnake: Or even handling him to the point where he realizes you aren't food. My king only bites when he is hungry so maybe a few more meals will help calm him down a bit. Hook handling or glove handling is at your discretion. Keep handling him and make sure his habitat is in good order. P: )įor some reason I thought this story was about a milksnake cause I had a similar thing with my Tangerine milksnake. Besides hook training, proper husbandry, and regular feedings, is there any way I can get this guy to calm down? Should I just start wearing gloves until he tames or what?Īnd just because you guys live for them, pics! (Sorry, no blood or anything. I really do enjoy this snake and the respect he demands, but my dad isn't too happy with how often he bites. There was absolutely no aggression or anything, he just kind of opened his mouth and latched on.
He seemed just fine until he decided my finger was dinner.
Tonight, I had taken him out with the hook (he struck at it a few times) to inspect his belly (just a few scales looked odd, nothing serious.) After a bit on the hook, he relaxed a bit, so I let him wrap his tail around my arm. I didn't own a snake hook at the time, so I just gave him a rat while I changed his water. About four or five days later, I went to get him fresh water, and he wasn't having it. The next day, he ate two frozen mice (both very small) and a hopper rat. Not too long after I got him to let go of my finger, he turned around and grabbed my other finger. I figured I wait it out, but he actually started making his way up to the tip of my finger, when at this point I grabbed the Lysterine. A week after taking him in, I went to help him out of a fix he got into (he was stuck between his log hide and the wall of the tank.) As I was getting him unstuck, he without warning (I'm sure there was warning, but it was dark and I wasn't exactly paying attention) just grabbed onto my finger. I suspect he wasn't so mean at first because he didn't have a heat source, so he was just a bit chilled. At first, he was fine, but once I got him home and in proper temps, he turned into the meanest snake I own. I love this thing to pieces, he's an 11 year old Mexican Black Kingsnake, and I took him in about three weeks ago.
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