arizona mountain kingsnakes

[greg4000]

if anyone knows about these, arizona mountain kings, please help. i bought 1.2 trio of 04 snakes from cold blooded novelties. they were sent via usps in a non insulated box at the end of august. when i got them they were almost dead. one was not even moving. they recovered, two of them ate once. now they will not eat at all.
i contacted the seller and this is his reply. since we have had low pressure systems associated with the hurricanes (i live in clearwater, florida) that they automatically snapped into hybernation and will not eat until spring.
this is utterly rediculous to me. mabey im wrong, i doubt it though. i have had boas, pythons and cornsnakes for enough years to know how to cool them down and hybernate them. i like the amks very much and would hate to see them starve. out side of force feeding, which i do not want to do because they are very small, does anyone have any suggestions?
they are on a eucalyptis substrate, average temp about 78 - 80 degrees, regulated light and dark times, plenty of hiding and fresh water. theres not much info on the net on these guys so hopefully i can find some info through here. again any help would be appreciated and also would not suggest buying from cold blooded novelties. thanks
greg von bruchhaeuser

[Wilomn]

Get them off the eucalyptus first of all. It's not a good bedding.

I've been breeding pyros for a few years and some of the babies fire right up and eat like there is no tomorrow and some are a real pain in the butt.

You might want to try a hot spot closer to 86 or 88 degrees but be sure to give a gradient.

Make sure the pinks you're feeding are totally hairless. Sometimes even a bit of fuzz will put the snakes off.

If it doesn't eat in the next week or so try a split-head pink. It's a very effective feeding method.

The nonsense about low pressure is just that, nonsense. Those folks just don't care about the welfare of the snakes they sell. Have you posted on the BOI about them and their shipping methods? If not you should just to keep others from being ripped off by these guys.

Good luck.

[greg4000]

i have not posted here yet about their shipping practices but i will. i have never had any problems with the eucalyptis at all. i have everything from ball pythons, rainbows, cornsnakes, blue beauties, and the king snakes. they all are doing ok on it. but i need to get them to feed, so what do you suggest? thanks for the suggestions for feeding, i will try them. i have a feeling i was just sold the problem eaters. i will work out something hopefully. greg von bruchhaeuser

[vscampbell]

You didn't mention checking them for parasites. I suggest having it done immediately by a herp vet, if you aren't equiped or familiar. After they snakes are clean (or found to be clean), my best trick is to keep the temp up, I agree with the mid to high eighties but I suggest using ambient temps instead of substrate temps. Start the morning about 72F and raise to around 85 by mid day for a couple of hours. Cool down to about 72F at night. After a couple of days take a mouse cage with a new born litter in it (remove the mother of course) and place the snake into it with as little trauma as possible. Leave it overnight. You're replicating the natural conditions of the snake, they hunt at night and crawl into a mouse burrow to eat the babies while the mother is out foraging. I find new born mice are the most enticing, the cage is really mouse smelly, the temps are right and its at night in the dark. You can use a piece of acrylic on top to keep the snake in with the pinks, drill holes for vetilation.

Val Campbell