Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here is a male that just went thru his second shed. It sure is nice having babies that eat right out of the egg unlike those damn NJ babies that are stubborn as can be.
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That's a great one Keith!
Todd Hughes

..did you get the pic I sent?
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

Beautiful Eastern Keith. Speaking of eating right out of the egg, I was curious since you've worked with different locals of easterns. Is it just the Northern eastern kings that tend to be stubborn feeders as far as not wanting to start off on rodents? Like maybe Maryland and NJ easterns? I believe Peter has some Maryland babies that take some time and effort to get started, yet is Greenville SC easterns devour rodents right from the start. What is your experience with some of the Va and NC locality Easterns, as far as starting off on rodents? Thanks in advance. On a side note, my Currituck, NC eastern that used to belong to you, that I got from Peter is a very aggressive feeder. The one with the Y on the back of his neck. He's an outstanding eastern. Older pic of him below.

Steve

Here is a male that just went thru his second shed. It sure is nice having babies that eat right out of the egg unlike those damn NJ babies that are stubborn as can be.

Yep, my pair of Greenville's from Peter are doing two pinks a sitting now! Great little feeders.
Todd Hughes

That's good to hear Todd. I have a Greenville female on order from Peter myself. I'll post some pics when I get her.

Steve

>>Yep, my pair of Greenville's from Peter are doing two pinks a sitting now! Great little feeders.
Todd Hughes

Nice snake Keith! I'm wondering the same thing as Steve is. Do you see a tendency for certain locales of getula to be more apt to feed on nestlings rodents than others from the onset? I have recorded a 40% rate of Kentucky nigra feeding on frozen/thawed pink mice on their first feeding attempt and a 60% success while using live. As a side note I'm batting 1000 when using hatchling corn snake morphs haha!

Phil

I've always wondered if baby mountain kings are reluctant to take mice because they are so tiny, and momma mouse is a serious threat to their life.

I wonder if getula locales that are reluctant to take rodents have (or had in years past) particular nasty breeds of rodents?
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3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I have noticed the Northern locales to be more finicky. Ive also talked to others that have had the same results. Its not that they dont want to eat but they want something in particular. In the case of my NJ Easterns they wanted baby Watersnakes, baby Garters. They refused Ground Skinks for the most part and didnt like baby Ribbon Snakes all that much. They may have liked Fence Lizards but I never had any to try. Waters were always taken. In fact I used Broad Banded Waters which dont range into NJ at all so its not that they want locale prey just something close to it I guess.

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Keith, I have had good success getting reluctant feeders to accept pink mice that have been smeared with garter snake musk. There have been times in which I kept a small garter for this sole purpose, then released it after all were feeding well on unscented. This would usually take three or four feedings. I have noticed that rat and corn snake musks drives my adult kings nuts. I'm always careful to wash my hands well between servicing cages.

Phil

Phil yeah there isnt a trick that I havent tried with the NJ's. They just want a live snake as well no dead ones...they are very specific lol. AT least I dont have to worry about this year no NJ's here. Hey how are those NC (cant remember the locale) Easterns you have doing ? Are they staying nice and clean ? I would love to get a pair of offspring when ya produce.

Keith
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Keith, the Carolina kings I have are looking great. They have retained a very crisp pattern with nice contrast. I could have bred them this year but decided to let my female put on some extra size this year. Should pay off with good sized hatchlings next year I'm thinking.

Phil

Have you ever tried corn snake or rat snake musk on pinkies for baby kings?
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Peter Jolles
East Coast Colubrids
www.eastcoastcolubrids.com

Peter, I have tried it, but the results were not as consistent as when I used garters to scent with. It seems very clear the adult kings have a strong interests when they smell the musk of corns and rats.

Something else I thought was interesting. A while back I was cleaning the cage of one of my large pine snakes which had recently shed. I was in a hurry and decided to clean the cage of a large eastern king afterward. The snake had just fed the day before on a medium rat was I was not expecting much of a reaction if any.Was I ever wrong! He went completely psycho and tried to eat my arm off. Guess pine snakes are on the menu too!

Phil

and he likes to eat every third day.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l59/lytlesnake/P4060003.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l59/lytlesnake/after_shed.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l59/lytlesnake/P4060036.jpg

Here's one without any copy/pasting.

shoulda kept it shoulda kept it shoulda kept it .....lol He looks awesome ! Now if that second clutch would hurry and hatch
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Hey Keith, hopefully this next clutch is female heavy!

I emailed you a few of the best photos. Here's one more.

I think there was a mistake...that one was supposed to come back to Buffalo. Just kidding of course. Very, very nice.

Will