Janine, White-Side Florida King, Nomming Slugs

[Nanci]

So bloodred Buzztail double-clutched. I hadn't re-bred her, because I didn't WANT her to double-clutch, because she's smaller, and it was her first year. I guess she had other ideas. She didn't feel gravid, and ate readily five days ago. But when I got her out to feed tonight, she had a surprise for me. Two eggs look great, and there are eight definite slugs.

Now last year, with Cherry's double unbred slugfest, and Isabel's triple unbred slugfest, I got to offer slugs to all my kings. Jake ate one, and then didn't want any more. Janine, Jewel, Choco and Janie all declined a slug dinner. But Janine has expanded her diet to rats and chicks as well as mice, and even tried to eat Jewel in a photoshoot, so I thought she might be open to samping slugs again.

Yup- with almost no hesitation, Janine went to town!

 

[Nanci]

Om nom nom nom nom!

 

[Nanci]

This is what the clutch looked like. The two good eggs are in the incubator.

Thanks for looking!

 

[ZoologyGirl]

Nice pics, I need to get me a garbage disposal for when I start breeding.

 

[Cattsy]

lol looks like she had a good dinner!!

 

[Nanci]

I would suggest a Florida or Apalachicola king- they are so nice! An Ap King will stay a lot smaller. They are great for clean-up, too. I feed all the corns first, and each group of corns has a kingsnake that feeds with them. So I just don't thaw food for the king till I see if all the corns have eaten. That way, if I have a surprise blue snake or something, the mouse doesn't get wasted. Big Jake and Janine are big enough to eat chicks, too, which are about 25 cents- way cheaper than the equivalent amount of mice or rats!

 

[admitchell08]

Nanci, how many slugs can they eat in one sitting?

 

[MysticExotics]

slug_eating_contest

 

[ceduke]

Nom! Looks like a nice meal for her!

 

[Nanci]

Nanci, how many slugs can they eat in one sitting?

I don't know! Janine is 850 grams, so a lot!! That was about 70 grams of eggs. (But she didn't eat the two good eggs, so 40-50 grams at the most??) I think she could have eaten twice as many without worrying me.

 

[Susielea]

She's as gorgeous as ever Nanci and it seems like she enjoyed her feast

 

[starsevol]

She is just beautiful, and if a snake can look happy, she sure does!

 

[dickdeuel]

Nanci,

You reminded me of one of my large male Florida kings that just loves to eat slugs ever chance he gets. Because of his size it looks like he is eating large, white jelly beans. That's a nice looking white-side also!

 

[Nanci]

Janine sure is a beauty!! Dean said it looked like she was eating snake-flavored Mike and Ikes...This is a picture I took a while ago of Janine, Jake and Jewel. Janine apparently thought it was her feeding bowl!!

 

[Nanci]

I just had the fright of my life! Jewel refused her clean-up mouse, so I was going to give it to Big Jake, but Big Jake is blue and really, really cranky. So I knew Janine would take one for the kingsnake team. I normally feed her in a bin, but didn't want to bother for just a hopper, so I dangled it with tongs in front of the hide I thought she would be in. Nothing! I reached in to lift the hide and Janine came FLYING OUT with her mouth open- like white lightning! I shrieked and pulled my hand out just ahead of her gaping maw, and then quickly popped the hopper in! So I guess she really wasn't satisfied by the eight slugs...I think I lost ten years off my life. I really thought she had me. Normally when I feed any of them, I get them out before I ever touch a mouse!!

 

[dickdeuel]

Thats pretty much how all my Florida kings feed! They know food is coming and are searching for anything that moves. It makes a king snake what it is. I love it until I get bit.