Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The record sized black kingsnake that Will and I discovered in Hopkins county KY last Sept has now been published. This excerpt from the latest edition of the Journal of Kansas Herpetology that we co-authored with Dr Joe Collins.

Another look at this magnificent snake!

Best of luck in '07 to all you folks that enjoy searching for kingsnakes in the field!

Phil

Thats cool Phil, I don't think I have seen one over 3.5 foot.I have never seen any wild ones but I used to keep a few from alabama and they never reached four foot even after years of great care.

Shannon

Thanks Shannon.Interestingly enough we see plenty of 4'plus males each year in the field but the ones I have raised from hatchlings usually stop growing in length at around 4'. The only thing I can think of is that the hatchlings are sometimes a little slow at putting on size. Where I am feeding them pink mice every few days, those in the wild may well be gorging themselves on yoy garters and water snakes. In the end this may make a difference.

Phil

Interesting,
One would think that with the great conditions givin to a captive that they would reach greater lengths and at a fast rate.
Still the largest snakes come from the wild.Interesting???
Sahnnon

It does pose some interesting questions for sure. We sometimes find young kingsnakes quietly resting under warmed metal that are digesting huge meals. I think most of us, myself included usually refrain from feeding our hatchling snakes too much at one time over concern with potential regurgitation. In the wild though, I have the impression that these young snakes often tackle very large meals. We once found a yearling prairie king eating a broadhead skink that was nearly its equal in total bio-mass. I have to wonder if the first years growth in particularly good habitat may give the wild snakes the edge in accelerated growth rates compared to those that us hobbyist are raising. We also come across adult kings in the field that have clearly eaten large snake meals. It makes me think that the very largest of these kingsnakes most likely add the occasional huge meal to their diet and in turn reach really large sizes.

Phil

Congrats Phil. I've noticed a lot of your pics over the years show them darker(blacker ) than Nigritus. Do you ever find any that are solid black with no speckling at all?
Bob.

Thanks Bob. We have seen a number of snakes from upland habitat that had no trace of pattern what so ever on the dorsum. Rarely we see those that have reduced ventral pattern and very little latteral patterning as well. Essentially a snake that is roughly 95% black. The typical black king has a very faint yet present chain pattern across the back and about a 50/50 black on yellow/ cream or white ventral scalation.

Phil
Official Black Kingsnake Website

Way cool Phil. Thanks for the update.

You are welcome Aaron. Good to hear you found interesting.

Phil

Great find Phil!!! Is this article going to be posted at CNAH in the future? I just like having these kinda things in my own records. Interesting that it only weighed in at 392 grams? Just seems a King of that size should weigh more than that? Thanks for the info!!!
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Ace

Thanks Ace. I'm not sure if the CNAH puts these things on their website or not. You may want to contact Dr Collins and see if he could send you a copy of the latest journal which has this info in it.

Phil

Thansk Phil, I'll try that....... I just figured since they have a PDF copy of your calligaster record, they might also add this sometime too. Thanks again!!!
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Ace

Phil -

Huge props to you and Will for getting your names in the record book - With Joe T! That is a bruiser Black King!

I used to read Conant and dream of capturing a new record king - now you've gone and done it!

And you let him go - That is so cool!

May be you will catch him again and he will have another 1/2 inch.

Awesome accomplishment - I'm totaly jealous

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"