Animal Biographies

Tier One- Intermediate Speckled Kingsnake (King Tut & Nephertiti)

Animal Facts:

King Tut Nephertiti Sex Female Male Date of Birth 8/2006 8/2006 Scientific Name Lampropeltis getula holbrooki Life Expectancy Up to 20 years

Normal behavior:

Both are very active and are usually ready to come out as soon as you open the drawer. They are both active during handling.

Signs of stress or discomfort: If any of these occur during handling you should stop handling the animal and complete an incident report:

x Hissing and striking is very abnormal. If this behavior occurs, return or leave snake in enclosure and inform a keeper. If this occurs while handling it’s possible you may be holding the snake too tightly. Do not try to restrain a snake, let them move around. Fill out an animal incident report and turn in to correct employee by following the reporting procedures. x Over-Heating. Warning signs of becoming overheated can include becoming abnormally active, striking, or becoming very lethargic/ limp. o Over activity can be interpreted as a snake trying to get out of your hands to find a place to cool down. If you see these behaviors, immediately move snake to a cool place and place back in carrier. Fill out an animal incident report and turn in to correct employee by following the reporting procedures. o Lethargy or limpness is very abnormal. If the snake becomes overheated they might lose their grip, become dead weight or even completely limp. If an individual exhibits these behaviors, immediately return to animal holding but don’t remove the snake from the cooler. Inform a keeper, fill out animal incident report and turn in following reporting procedures. o Striking and/or hissing is very abnormal. When they get too hot they may start to strike. Fill out an animal incident report and turn in to correct employee by following the reporting procedures. x When snakes become too cold they will be inactive. They may not be alert or respond to your touch if they remain too cold for a long period of time. As long as snake is not exposed to temperatures below stated guidelines, you should not see these behaviors.

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Animal Biographies

Abnormalities: Things to look for include bumps along the spine, lumps along the belly, abnormal scales, scars, etc. If you notice an abnormality, contact a keeper and fill out animal incident report and turn in following reporting procedures.

x King Tut has a lump on his back about 1/3 down his body.

Medical issues: None at this time. This will include nasal discharge, drooling, wounds, exposed skin or any other medical issues. If you notice a medical issue, contact a keeper and fill out animal incident report and turn in following reporting procedures.

Temperate guidelines:

Outside conditions Temperature range Length of exposure Sunny 65q - 82q 15 minutes* see below Partial sun/overcast 70q - 85q unlimited** see below Overcast/shady 70q - 87q unlimited** see below

*The length of exposure in sunny conditions is the maximum amount of time allowed in direct sunlight. You can keep the animal out longer if move into shade.

**Unlimited length of exposure allows an animal to be handled for the full duration of a program or encounter without time restrictions, barring any stress signals.

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