Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read so many comments from people saying brooksi is their favorite, but why? They aren't the most colorful/patterned, so is it their temperment or something else?

Tom

Florida kings (aka brooksi) from south Florida are just quality kings. They possess what most people desire collectivly in a pet snake.

To define quality in a snake one is comparing to other snakes that are out there. Some people like certain snakes for the rarity or bonified locale (ie exact location,stree stump, rock) they came from. Other snakes are valued for their temperament (calm, hyper, spastic). While other are valued for their size (big, small, med). Some are liked for their ease of maintenance (feeding response, easy to breed ect). The Florida kings possess what most people desire collectivly in a pet snake. Advanced hobbiests also like the Florida kings for their ease of handling and maintenance and the brooksi king offers many various new morphs that have popped up from captive breeding. This makes it an excating snake to breed into other brooks mutations.. So the brooksi kingsnake covers a lot of areas of desrability, while other kings (and colubrids in general) have different values of their own.

Very well said about Florida kings/brooksi. I have one 04 axanthic male that's one of my favorites.
Rainer, that Peanut Butter adult is outstanding. Is that an adult male or female? I think I rememeber you saying the females are darker then the males? Do both sexes of peanut butter brooksi end up looking like that pictured adult? Thanks.

Steve

Rainer, that Peanut Butter adult is outstanding. Is that an adult male or female? I think I rememeber you saying the females are darker then the males? Do both sexes of peanut butter brooksi end up looking like that pictured adult? Thanks.

That is a male. There is quite a bit of variance with the PB's. The males are lighter than the female but I think the females are better looking as adults. I will have to post some pics soon.

I think they have a stunning pattern as babies, and a gorgeous colour as adults.

I'm not sure why the morphs get as much attention as they do, but maybe I just need to be exposed to them some more IRL rather than web pictures.

A few vendors had some brooksi at the sac show, I almost bought one - but decided not to. I am trying not to be an impulse buyer.

Anyway - they are a stunning snake, at least in my opinion, especially as adults. Many snakes, it's the babies that are good lookers. Brooksi babies are also good lookers, but if you've ever seen a big one, it is breathtaking. IMHO.
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 0.0.10 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Well some Kings can be fussy feeders as babies. This can happen with Brooksi too but it not too common. Most are strong feeders and they can grow very quickly. The variation in colors from normals or hets is also extremly widespread. I have some that are lemon yellow, straw yellow, coppery looking, greenish, and dark brown ground colors also vary into every shade imagineable. The list of morphs is already huge and there's many more variants to be seen. Out of the 50 or so I have only a few bite or musk, most are extremely docile. They're easy to care for, they seem to thrive in just about any condition. Most who own them find them addicting. They're really great pets and easy to breed. I will post some pcis when I have time. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Brooks have been a great choice for maintenance because of their ideal size. They are easily maintained in sweaterbox sized rack systems. They have a great confident demeanor. They are not flighty, jerky, nervous, or wiggly. They will calmly crawl through your hands. They have very smooth shiny scales and a stout muscular build. They are not delicate or fussy. They will thrive on mice, rats, and chicks both fresh and thawed. (I'm pretty sure they would eat anything)They are easily started on newborn pinks. They usually have no problems shedding. The finest examples are a very handsome yellow. The extraordinary ones are bright solid yellow and not lacking for color, they are stunning. The more common field collected “light” Florida Kings offer the project of refinement. And now there are all the new traits being bred into, or being revealed, that offer a lot of interesting breeding potential. Snakes either hate you, or they could care less about you. Sometimes with these Brooks, you might actually get the feeling they like you. That’s pretty rare with any snake. They win you over when you work with them.