Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I hope you do not mind my asking for help.

I have what I consider to be one of the two most beautiful snakes I have ever owned or seen! I refer to him as a male but have not had him probed.

His back is all black, has iridescent qualities. His belly is truly iridescent , with less than 10 white/ yellow spots. He is currently almost five feet long. He shed for the first time (since I bought him) tonight so I did a bunch of scale counting (much easier than with him moving!) His skin did come off in one piece. He has 23 Dorsal scales, 217 Ventral scales, 8 infralabial, 7 supralabial, anal plate is single the subcaudal scales are double with the exception of two, right after his anal plate he has two rows of double then the next two are single after that all are double.

The store I bought him from tried to tell me he is a florida king snake but I knew better than that! I have owned many! Snakes in my life. I have narrowed it down ( I think) to a mexican black king or a black milk. I would say mesican black but he seems too large and I can not find info on scale counts on mexican black kings. His scale count does fit with a Black milk but I am unsure of the iridescent qualities of Black milks. Do you have any ideas or comments?? If you need anymore info please let me know, and also I can send pics but prefer to ask permission before I send anyone photos, don't want to assume it is OK.

I truly appreciate any help, I do not care what he is I love him no matter but I want to provide for him as best I can and knowing will help me do just that.

With great thanks
Angela

Angela -

Since you already think it is a Lampropeltis sp., you may want to post this request on the Kingsnake forum. And do post pics, if you have them - its hard to ID snakes soley on descriptions.

John D
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"
0.1 Black Rat (WV Rescue) "Roberta"

...particularly a head shot. The chin would be good to look at, as well. Glad to hear you like your snake, I can't wait 'til our little MBK is full grown!
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
3.4 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
0.1.0 Pueblan Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Albino San Diego Gopher Snake
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
1.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.1.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

I posted a few in the photo gallery under Indian Asteroid. They are not great but my husband is not home and he is impossible to take a picture of! Trying to hold him and take the photo LOL

Angela

I'm certainly no expert, but I believe that is a beautiful Mexican Black King. Congrats!!
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
3.4 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
0.1.0 Pueblan Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Albino San Diego Gopher Snake
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
1.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.1.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

After looking at the photos, it's a Mexican Black Kingsnake--very nice! I have one as a classroom pet--he is gentle, is usually checking out the kids rather than hiding--and he's gorgous in sunlight!

rgds,
althea

I am sending more now that my husband is home to take the photos. There are more in the photo gallery. I have looked at photos of Mexican black and also of Black milks, the look so alike it is hard to tell! and both can have 23 dorsal scale rows! But at least I can now rule out the Indigos.

angela

Now that I've seen your posts in the Kingsnake forum, I am 100% positive on the ID. Beautiful snake! I love my MBK.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
3.4 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
0.1.0 Pueblan Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Albino San Diego Gopher Snake
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
1.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.1.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs