| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| andy |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 08:17:07
hi all, my daughter wants a king, shes 8, and is fine with the corn, how many of you have kings, and are they as aggressive as i think they are? i know its a bit off corn, but i dont want to end up with something we cant handle. cheers. |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Figs |
Posted - 26/02/2013 : 16:02:16
quote:
Originally posted by andy
thanks for that, not sure what to do, weve all been had by the guinea pigs in the past, but they were one offs, mind you, hurt like hell and bled loads. we looked at some in l n d in mansfield, the lad had loads out for us and none of them went for him. more thought, and opinions please
Oooooh little snake chomps are nothing compared to those horrible rodent teeth!! |
| Oli |
Posted - 26/02/2013 : 15:28:54
I have recently got a mexican black king & he was extreemly aggressive (why the owner sold him to me in the first place) but because he was just not used to being handled when young. I've had him 2 weeks now & he's gone from biting at every oppotunity to not biting at all! I have heard a lot of mixed oppionions though & always "expect" to get bitten, I think it variys on the snake, if you did get one you could go and handle it first & see how it reacts. |
| coxymk2 |
Posted - 25/02/2013 : 20:17:52
I have 3 corns and on their last feeding day friday 2 of them decided i was on the menu. They are normally so gentle so i wouldn't take anything for granted. If you keep snakes expect to get bitten as with most animals they can react differently for no reason |
| paulie78 |
Posted - 25/02/2013 : 19:12:28
My kings a real soppy lad never been bitten or had any signs of agression from him whatsoever initially when he was little foir the first few weeks hed tail rattle and musk but he soon snapped outta that |
| Okeetee Mick |
Posted - 25/02/2013 : 17:11:09
Can only speak of my own (Blairs and Thayers) both adorable, never had a problem. |
| Hissyfit |
Posted - 25/02/2013 : 10:33:46
I'd try to steer her towards something less 'bitey', maybe a house snake, royal or even another corn...but then I don't do 'bitey' snakes and wouldn't want one for an 8 yr old. |
| andy |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 18:11:54
thanks for that, not sure what to do, weve all been had by the guinea pigs in the past, but they were one offs, mind you, hurt like hell and bled loads. we looked at some in l n d in mansfield, the lad had loads out for us and none of them went for him. more thought, and opinions please |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 17:52:40
I have 3 Kings, big adult MBK, adult Florida and a young Californian.
It's not that Kings are aggressive but more likely to 'stand their ground' and not take any nonsense. They will musk or bite, sometimes both, if they aren't happy about something. The difference is that where a Corn will usually just give a quick tag and let go, a King will will bite, latch on and usually coil or constrict for extra leverage. Trying to make it release only makes it more determined.
There is no guarantee other than that a bite is inevitable whether you start with a young King or at some point with even a settled adult. Youngsters are nippy but the bite is little more than a pinch but still a determined one. My young Cali is a rehomer, mis-sold as a Corn to a youngster who got a nip and is now terrified of snakes. I've only had it for less than a fortnight but been nipped several times already. Funny to me but not to a kid where it is his first experience with a snake.
An adult King can be as sloppy as you can imagine but it will soon let you know that it isn't happy about something. For some unknown reason my MBK turned rogue and I went though 3 months of real pain getting it back to being a calm strap of liquorice. Just changing the water dish required gloves.
Even if you take a docile adult, the changes of set-up and new scents can put them on the 'defensive' until they settle into a new environment.
Here are links to some posts I've made with photos (parental discretion advised  ) I'm not trying to put you off or saying 'don't get a King' but think very carefully before getting one for your daughter. Maybe she is capable and ready for a King. If that is the case, I'd suggest a young one to get her used to the nips and hopefully get it settled down quickly. They are fantastic snakes.
BTW, the Florida is not a typical King. It is a big fearty but still musks and then retreats into his hide after trying to win him over for nearly 6 months. 
Young Cali-King.
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27997
The bigger Kings.
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25900
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25329 |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 10:34:29
quote:
Originally posted by Figs
If you can get a grown on one that handles nicely before you buy it, you should more or less be golden i reckon
Not always the case though, my king was an angel for her last owner, she's 6. its taken me since november to calm her down and we're not even quite there yet. |
| Figs |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 10:31:31
I have 5 kings
Donnie is an absolute love - no musking, biting or speeding away at all
Ofelia is pretty good too, only gets bitey around food...
Gilbert is snap happy at first, but soon calms down with no musking.
Moose and Sharky on the other hand... well lets put it this way:
If you can get a grown on one that handles nicely before you buy it, you should more or less be golden i reckon |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 10:13:01
Mine isnt a bitey one, but shes a hell of a musker, she has calmed down oodles since i got her though |
| Sta~ple |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 10:00:56
I have a king, mine is a little sweetheart but they really check if your fingers are food when you take them out! He has bitten once but thats because I tried to take him out the feeding tub as soon as he ate, my younger corns are more aggressive than my king.
I'm sure soeone will come along and tell you tales of their bitey ones though :P |
| Razee |
Posted - 24/02/2013 : 09:23:14
I haven't got a king, but when my young nephew wanted a king, I took him to a pet shop to look at various snakes ( trying to encourage him to choose a corn :-) ) - and the shop owner said: "if you have a corn, you might get bitten. If you have a king, you'll definitely get bitten at some point."
I would say it very much depends on an individual snake, I imagine there are kings that' ve never bitten anyone, just as there are corns, that bite.
Don't forget about the musking as well, kings can musk if frightened... that might put her off, too. Depends how brave she is.
On the other hand, kings are supposed to be more active during the day, so would be easier to watch. |
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