help!

[Phoenixphire55]

I have a few questions, and I'll start with the urgent one.

I have a baby kingsnake who is about 14 inches or so long. Here's the thing, he ate a pinky mouse a few days ago and that night after eating it he crawled up inside one of the decorations in his tank and hasn't come out since. I know that they like to hide out while they digest their food, but I'm afraid he is stuck inside there. The decoration is this big plastic fake root system thing and he is inside one of the ends of the roots, which means he's in a small space which ends in a small cylindrical point. Any advice on how to get him out? I'm really afraid to cut the decoration apart for obvious reasons (I could risk cutting the snake, or shattering the plastic and hurting him). Ugh, what do I do? If it helps, he's about the circumference of a medium sized finger.

second question: I feed him one pinky mouse every five days. Would it be a good idea to feed him two at a time? Just curious cuz he seems very eager when he eats and often slithers around his tank for a while after eating, as if he's looking for more.

third question: what size heating pad should I use for a 20 gallon long tank? I got a pretty small one and it doesn't seem to be heating the hot end of the tank enough. I got a crappy liquid crystal stick on thermometer and it says 76 when the thermostat is turned up to its hottest setting.

 

[diamondlil]

The snake should come out when it's ready, but that thermometer could be way off, you'd be better off with a digital one. Heatmats without regulation can get hot enough to burn the snake.

 

[bitsy]

second question: I feed him one pinky mouse every five days. Would it be a good idea to feed him two at a time? Just curious cuz he seems very eager when he eats and often slithers around his tank for a while after eating, as if he's looking for more.

The usual way of preparing them to take fuzzies, is to offer double pinks, You could try it if one pinky doesn't leave a visible bulge in him 48 hours after feeding.

Beware of snakes "looking" or "acting" hungry - in the wild they're opportunistic feeders and would eat everything they could hold whenever they find it. Their instinct would be to eat a whole nest of pinkys, hence the searching behaviour. He doesn't know that you will guarantee his next meal arrives in plenty of time. If you feed on demand, then you'll end up with a porker of a snke with a short and unhealthy life. You'll need to use your judgement rather than relying on his instincts.

 

[wildlifephotographer]

For the third question: about what size heating pad to use...use one that says for 20-30 gallon tanks that's how I was able to know what size to use on my 20 gallon long tank. It should be marked on the box at the pet store or on the sticker tag on the hanging hook where the heating pads are on at the store. So just check them out and they should say.

 

[Phoenixphire55]

My heating pad said it was for 20 30 but it was only like 6 inches by 8 inches. Maybe thats enough.

He did end up coming out of the decoration thing on his own. I was just being paranoid. I think I will try giving him a 2nd pinkie next time I feed him because even one day after feeding there is no visible lump in his stomach area. Also, I just measured him and he's actually about 18-19 inches long. Kingsnakes grow fast as babies don't they? I've only had him less than a month and he is noticeably bigger already.

 

[NFS07]

Each snake within each group will grow at their own rate. My corn grew a lot faster then my king did and I was feeding my king the same as I did the corn when he was that size. Just depends on the snake really. We all worry when its our first snake so just remember to breathe. Are you using anything to manage the heat that the heating pad is putting out?