Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am doing research on a couple of species I will be adding to my collection.

I have noticed that some hatchling MBKs have a faint pattern and some are solid black. I'm wondering if this faint pattern tends to darken or should I try to get only the darkest hatchlings if I want pretty indigo adults?

Thanks for the advice!

David Jobe
Education Curator
Mill Mountain Zoo
Roanoke, VA

Hi Dave,

I am originally from the Roanoke area and quite familiar with the mill mountain zoo. It was like getting a peice of home reading your post

I recently was given a MBK as a gift and it does have the residual spotting as many do. The spotting is quite common in the MBK but is line bred out by those who focus on them. I would suggest getting the "blackest" juvenile possible as I dont feel the spottings will go away with adulthood. I adore mine though. Great personality. THanks again for giving me a "peice of home" today

For what it's worth:
I've had my mexi-black since he came out of the egg--chose him from all of the hatching babies and traded a high-end corn hatchling for him. He was solid black then, and he is solid black 5 1/2 years later. Actually, he's jet/indigo black except for a few very white scales under his chin. Looks like he has a soul patch. He's very docile--I use him as an educational demonstration animal, and an enthusiastic eater.

althea

Well....the best thing to do is ask to see pics of the parents before you decide to commit to a sale. If they're the type you're hoping for...chances are the babies will turn out like them. I haven seen some that looked like Splendida as babies and lost the pattern completely with age, and others that retained traces of the pattern. My female is solid black, the male has some white specks here n there. The babies do have some specks near the belly...but none on the back. The odd thing is they're almost all opaque when they hatch, and they have a visible pattern, but it goes away the very first shed. Most people prefer the glossy look as more important than a few white specks. Any which way they're awesome snakes. Tom Stevens

Yours look very, very good, Tom!
Todd Hughes

Mine has a lot of white on him as you can see. Also under his chin is a huge amount of white. I think he is white because he is so full of musk accept after I hold him......

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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

My male was raised almost to adulthood; I exchanged him to a breeder since. Like most of his kind, he was VERY docile. (The wild ones, however, tend to be QUITE the exception I hear.)

He had a small, white chin patch that took me weeks to notice.

Later, I briefly had a hatchling that had faint, brown pattern on the lower sides, almost like a faint Splendida. I actually became fond of the "smoky" look, and almost wished that I had kept it.

I tend to like individuality & novelty, especially when they handle & feed well, over cosmetic looks.

Best wishes with yours.

Don
Portland, OR

In my experience they retain a white patch under their chin. If they have a pattern on their body or white spots along their ventral scales, these turn black as the animal reaches adulthood. I have never seen an pure adult MBK that has white marks on its body (with the exception of the chin).

Tim

Third Eye

I agree, the pattern or spots should fade, at least all of mine have except for a pair of white chin shields. I suspect this little one to do the same.
Todd Hughes

Thanks everyone for the information. If anyone could recommend a breeder I would appreciate that as well.
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David Jobe
Education Curator
Mill Mountain Zoo
Roanoke, VA

Tom Stevens!!!! aka Nocturnal Tom has the biggest female I've ever seen personally, and I have 5 of hers.
Todd Hughes