Hi gang.... I am just interested in all the hullabalooo about Kings... i get the BP (ball python) thang, Corns..sure, easy enough... It seems in my Forum Herping that Kings are on the rise as far as popular snakes. Tell me why my friends... there are a couple of Cali Kings at my local breeder and was thinking of adding one to the collection (Corns,Black Pine Snake, Uromastyx and more).
I ask myself the same question..as well as with milksnakes. But must assume that beauty is in the eye of the beholder Each to their own!
he he... aren't all snakes beautiful? lol To you King owners.. is it size? markings? temperment? Care requirements? just the 1st you got, loved them since?
well i dont have a king right know but i am working on getting a MBK but when i first started to keep snakes it was the king that got me into them. But a corn came up for a good price so i went that way. But what got me hucked on kings was that its priety cool to have a snake that is immune to snake venome and can kill and eat a rattler(priety dame cool)
In the event, of course, that a rattler sneaks its way into your cage you know your snake's safe LOL!
I am startin to breed kings and the colour for me does it mate(as well as the bein safe from rattlers feeling they give you lol
Kings have got a great distribution area across North & South America (keep in mind that technically Milksnakes ARE kingsnakes). They've got their own personalities, attitudes etc. They come in a variety of colors from Mexican Blacks, to Peanut Butter (which looks like straight yellow to me) Brooksi's, to holbrookis & splendidas, to the beautiful thayeris & alternas. I keep a WC female Cal King, a Sinaloan Milksnake, and a Speckled Kingsnake (L.G. holbrooki). Take a look @ some of the photos over @ the kingsnake forum on www.kingsnake.com, and you'll see why these hardy, wonderful serpents are so popular. reako45
I've got a question...if milksnakes are technically kingsnakes does that mean they are cannibalistic as well?
Milks are known to eat other snakes, but they are not as well known for the act, as Kings. I might get a Milksnake one day. I like how amazingly it mimics the Coral Snakes.
OK, great stuff so far. I am interested. I am not a huge python/boa fan, I suppose partially because of body type and partially cause ‘everyone has one’ it seems. I really enjoy my Black Pine and have been looking into gophers (Sonoran?). Kings now have my attention. Next question; My local reptile store (yes, reptile, not a Pet store), has a couple young Cali Kings. Are there certain things I should look for when inspecting them? Anything to look for with the 2 Cali's they have? Thanks in advance…
Let's see if I can remember these w/out looking @ my books; ask to handle the snakes. Check for bulging or sunken areas on the snakes body, patches of unshed skin, bruises. Let the snake slither through your hand. It should be active and not sluggish. A little attitude is not necessarily a bad thing. Check snake's body for mites, scale rot or smeared feces around the vent. Observe the snake in the tank, and watch for obsessive yawning of white mucus blotches in the mouth. Ask lots of questions. How old? Where from? When fed last? What is it eating? That's all I can remember for now. I know I'm forgetting something. Best advice is to get the book "General Care & Maintenance of Common Kingsnakes" by David Perlowin or "Kingsnakes & Milksnakes" by Bartlett & Markell. Research is Priceless! When I got my first king I read them religiously and still pull them out from time to time to answer questions that arise. Keep us posted about what you decide, and have fun w/ your snake. reako45
Can you tell the temperment at all? I don't know much of what, if anytihng to look for. My Corns, have always been passive and my Black Pine was fairly defensive (tail rattle,hiss and the odd strike) but settled down great. So when looking at Corns, agressive behavour may mean something, but Pines at that age it is very common. Will a Cali be aggressive at this age (thinking their late 05 stock)? Or would agression be a sign of anything?
There will probably be a little aggression at first but if it does not calm down soon after you have been holding it. If it is too calm it might be a sine of something bad. But at that age there will be some in a good healthy snake.
I have had a cali king for the past nine years. I have only been bit a few times when it was younger. Why do i like kings? IMO boas, pythons, and corns are just boring. Sure they are calm and handleable...but they just dont move enough! I want something that takes some work to handle. ...Must be the reason i dont appreciate fish
i've got a cali king and when i first got him he was bonkers but he tamed down real great I would recommend a king to anyone withj an interest
my cali king, quite frequently gives the tail rattle, but no more, i love calis to death, their markings, colors, and temperment... i think they are the clutsyest snakes though... they are quite funny little guys...
Readily available? They don't grow very big. They come in lots of different morphs they're easy to take care for (they're hardy) and their bites don't hurt much. I find that they have a friendlier look to them...my king looks very...friendly...dispite the fact he isn't! I would love to have a mexican black I think they're gorgious because the black has a sign of evil to it yet they look so cute. There's a 2 month old at one of the pet stores and he's so lively and cute I just want to cuddle him but he'd just freak out and rattle and strike me. Every baby king snake I've ever seen has been VERY flighty. You touch him he rattles and runs and hides and strikes and freaks out completely but they tame quite quickly. I guess if they're not handled at the pet store they wonder what the hell is going on
