Californian King Snake Not Active

[Draco27]

My friend has a Californian King Snake that she got at an expo about a month ago. It's about 4 months old now. It has been eating and has all the tank requirements like lighting and water daily. Problem is she isn't active like before.
Do snakes go through brumation or is this something a vet should take a look at?

Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. Any sites that you think would be useful are much appreciated.

 

[Floof]

Snakes aren't always active animals. They are often at their most active for their first couple weeks in a new home, as they investigate their surroundings, look for escapes, and settle in to the new routine. It could be that, now that the king is settled in, it just doesn't feel the need to be active through its enclosure. Nothing new to investigate or worry about, and it's content to just settle in and relax.

It could also be the set up. "Has all the tank requirements" doesn't tell us ANYTHING about how it is set up. For all anyone knows, you're doing something VERY wrong and don't even know it that could be the key to this or some other health concern. The first thing that comes to mind, is kingsnakes are nocturnal. A light over the enclosure does not hurt, but it can entice a snake to hide much more than normal (this is not unhealthy; just a fact). One other aspect of this is that, since they are nocturnal, the snake may just not be coming out to explore until everyone has gone to bed.

Then comes temperatures... What you may be under the impression is "right" may be "wrong," that is even if you monitor it as well as you should. I believe the requirement for Cali kings is a 90*F "basking" spot. The norm to do this would be with a heat pad and a thermostat. It can be done with a heat lamp if you insist on keeping the light, though heat lamps are also extremely drying and unpredictable (what may reach 90* one day may exceed 120* the next day), and they don't accommodate a temperature gradient as easily as a heat pad.

Then there are the little things... Things like enclosure size--too big of an enclosure for a vulnerable hatchling can have it cowering under a hide lest there be predators lurking right outside. Too few hides can have the same effect. Then there's substrate. Many people make the mistake of thinking sand is okay for cali kings, where, like dragons, it can be a severe health (impaction) risk. Impaction could easily cause lethargy, among other issues.

Just some things for you to think through... Though my guess is the snake is just being... well... A snake. A paranoid hatchling snake that doesn't want to be eaten by some predator lurking overhead. Completely normal behavior for any hatchling snake.

Really, as long as the temperatures in the enclosure are right, don't worry about it. Now, if the snake stops eating or starts presenting other health concerns (i.e. regurges, diarrhea), THEN is the time to worry. For now, I don't think this lack of activity is anything more than the normal behavior of your standard kingsnake.

 

[Draco27]

Thanks Floof. While i was writing this in my sculpture class, I was asking my friend with the snake all the necessary questions. She's got aspen as the substrate, same as i have for my red-tail. It's a twenty gal with a heating pad and light if i remember correctly. When i asked what she used to measure the temps she said she had one of those stick on therms from exo terra, i have the same thing. I told her they're unreliable and only tell the temp of the glass so I suggested she get a probe thermometer from Walmart. I have 2 zoo med therms that i got for cheap but now i'm hearing they can be off by up to 8 degrees. Anyone still use these?

Anyway i figured it was too hot in the tank for her snake so she's going to take care of that. I'll pass on what you told me about it being active in the first 2 weeks and otherwise being lazy and chill like my red-tail is. I'll tell her about the hides and open spaces probably scaring it because of potential predators.

Thanks again!

 

[Floof]

Ouch, yeah, definitely need to get the temps in order. If the crappy stick on thermometer says it's 80-some degrees, it could actually be anywhere from 60-100*F (give or take) as they are known to be as much as 20 degrees off or more. Definitely get that digital thermometer. An indoor/outdoor thermometer (you can get these at Walmart and the like) would be best, since she can put the probe under the substrate on the heat pad and leave the unit either on the cool side or, if she keeps the lamp, on the warm side to monitor the ambient air temperatures in addition to the heat pad.

The Zoomed ReptiTemp 500R, which I assume is what you're talking about, does the job... But, yes, it is quite inaccurate, and they are known to fail. Two of mine failed within the first year of use. Unfortunately, the better the thermostat, the more expensive it is. My favorite thermostat, the Herpstat, runs a little over $100 for the basic, single-unit thermostat, but it's also the best thermostat I've ever used... The others being, in order of least to best, Zoomed Reptitemp, Alife temperature controller, and Ranco thermostat. That also happens to be the rough order from least expensive to most expensive (though the Zoomed and Alife are about the same price retail, with the Alife being plenty superior to the Zoomed).

The Zoomed is definitely better than nothing, though, so if you can get her to ditch the heat lamp and put the heat pad on the thermostat, that would be VERY good.

A note on the acclimation period--this is an observation I've made, and it varies from snake to snake. Some snakes won't budge from a hide until they're used to their surroundings; others explore non-stop until they get used to it. My guess, now, is between this theory (exploring until he got used to the tank) and it now being too hot through most the tank for him to show any sort of activity (aestivation--a reaction to extreme heat, somewhat similar to hibernation. They generally hide in a burrow or other cool area to avoid the heat). In other words, the king just might become much more active once the temperatures are under control. (Or he may not; it depends on the snake and its preferred activity level.)

Best of luck, and I'm glad I could be of help.