Florida Kingsnake Now Available for Adoption
By Hope Bidegainberry on September 25, 2018
On June 27th, Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS/SPCA) staff retrieved a severely injured adult male Florida Kingsnake from their after-hours receiving kennel. The snake was emaciated, dehydrated and had burns on a third of his body. After four months of extensive treatment, the snake has healed to the point where he can now be adopted into a loving home. PHS/SPCA will only adopt him to experienced snake owners.
“The snake, named Felix, was surrendered to us by his owner who left a note saying he’d been homeless and asked a friend to care for the snake. When the owner reclaimed Felix from his friend, he found Felix was in very poor shape, with burn wounds covering a third of his body,” said PHS/SPCA Communications Manager Buffy Martin Tarbox. “In the note, the owner, who did not leave a name or contact information, said he didn’t have the money to heal Felix and he didn’t want him to suffer so he surrendered the snake to us.”
PHS/SPCA’s expert veterinarians and exotics staff prescribed a robust treatment plan for Felix, including creating a bandage to fit his entire body to help heal the burn wounds and providing subcutaneous antibiotics to stave off infection. PHS/SPCA staff suspect the burn wounds were possibly due to Felix being in an enclosure that was too small and too hot for him, forcing him to be exposed continuously to extreme temperatures.
“Despite the hardship Felix has endured, he’s still extremely friendly and will make a good pet for an experienced snake owner who is also willing to continue applying topical ointment on his wounds,” said Tarbox.
Florida Kingsnakes are known for their docile and friendly personalities. The live on average between 12-20 years and can reach up to six feet in length. Felix’s age is unknown, but he is fully grown, and measures at about six feet long. He will require a secure tank at least 60 gallons large and will need to be kept separate from other snakes.
Felix is available for adoption at PHS/SPCA’s Center for Compassion at 1450 Rollins Road in Burlingame. His adoption fee is $40. Like all snakes, Felix does need specialized care and feeding. PHS/SPCA strongly encourages the feeding of frozen, defrosted mice or rats which are available at most pet supply stores. Feeding live rodents is considered unnecessary and inhumane for the both the prey and the predator.
