Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A few weeks ago I caught a wild desert kingsnake at my work. As with most snakes/herps I catch, I usually only end up having them for a short while "to study" before I let them go. This kingsnake I caught however has been amazing. It is about 2.5-3 feet long (but very thin), almost entirely black, and has a very king temperament (allows handling, never snapped, but readily takes mice!)

Much to my surprise, my nighttime inspection revealed a gift - a single egg! Being as thin as she was, this was completely unexpected. She also showed no behavioral signs of being gravid. I woke up this morning to move the egg - and there were eight more. Nine total.

Here is a pic of the black beauty (can you see her eyes?) and a pic of the clutch, currently sitting on vermiculite.

This is my first clutch ever, any particular advice? My first question - several of the eggs came out stuck to each other. Should this group be seperated or left as is?

And a picture of the mother...

Very nice! She's got some nice yellows on her!

I want to see those babies when they hatch!

//Todd

Where on earth did you get that specimen?

Is it natural, or a mutant, er, morph??

Thats an Axanthic, Don Shores works with them and I believe there may be a second line too.
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Yup- Tom's right... axanthic from Don Shores.

If you like the photo, you should see them in person- they're awesome!

//Todd

Couple more pics:

I have a male axanthic splendida from one line, and a female from the other line. I am looking to add a female from Don Shores blue line and a female hypo.
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God Bless Evolution.

Eggs stuck together or normal, and not an issue. They will hatch our just fine assuming you provide the basics, humidity and reasonable temps etc. I might add a little more vermiculite to stabilize the single eggs, or just be careful when you move them around within the container. Otherwise,follow protocol for colubrid eggs, don't overheat or underheat them and be patient, you should have some real good looking hatchlings in 70 days or so...what general area did you find the female? She is really pretty, I always like splendida. good luck, Vic H.

I enjoyed both your photo.

Do you live in west TX, maybe Hudspeth County?

Yes actually, I live in Abilene. You could tell I'm from West Texas just by the snake? Impressive...

And as for the skillet-looking thing, that is her water dish haha. I am not the fanciest herper, in fact I am quite a cheap herper so I use what I have.

Whoa... my brother lives in Abilene... I guess I need to go visit him so I can do some herping!
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Holly

0.1 Lavender California Kingsnake (Lizzie Borden) (missing )
1.0 Florida Kingsnake (Eddie Gein)
0.0.2 Cornsnakes (Lyle & Erik Menendez)
1.0 Bearded Dragon (Charley Manson)
1.0 Orange Marmalade Cat (Oliver)
1.0 Black Cat (Shadowfax)
1.0 Egyptian Arabian (Bagan) (Deceased )
1.0 Tennessee Walking Horse (Durango)

2.0 Toddlers (Justice & Trevor)

Congratulations! But what's with the skillet-looking thing? Lol.

Jerry Kruse

Maybe Midwest Tongs is selling snake scoops now lol.
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Mark

Jerry, Billy gave me a call last night about a 6 foot king snake in his barn at the goat spot. Beaver and I hustled over there and we found(actually it was all eagle eyed Beaver) a baby black rat, a 3-4 foot black rat and then a monster black rat(sorry it wasnt a King which I would have shipped to you). We should have measured the black rat. It was one of the biggest I have ever seen, well over 6 feet for sure.Also rescued a Canebrake on the way to the goat spot, and caught a King earlier in the day right near my house.

Awwww man, that's just awesome. I will swing out your way again this fall for sure. I love that goat spot. I was really liking that male I found, but next time around I guess. Like I said before, it's all about the company. And that five-lined is doing well and the kids love it. We'll have to arrange it for a three-day weekend so that i can hang for dinner and some more nyuk nyuk nyuk....LOL. Phil, you too rubbaneck. You hear me?!

Jerry Kruse

By all means come down for a 3 dayer in the fall. You still haven't met all the local herpers, plus we can hit some other spots locally and in not too far off currituck county. And the stooges will be ready to watch again.Your fellow goat herder

You is a BAAAAAAD man (insert goat sound...). I'm bringing a video camera next time. I never expected those kind of antics. I promise to bring some Katz deli goodies and a Juniors cheescake from Brooklyn next time. Fuggidabowdit.

Jer

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Wow, you got to stop posting those awesome alterna. I am getting itchy to secure a pair, if not for all the "getting them to feed" nightmares I continually hear from a great many people. I would welcome some Katzes Pastrami and some REAL cheesecake, but you forgot the pizza and bagels. Howie

Lol, Howie you're awesome. You need to come back up north for a weekend. You know, I just started with alterna only two years ago (always avoided 'em for some reason). I've taken on several hatchlings that were sold to me as non-feeders, and with the help of baby sceloporus lizards (initial feeders) and a few adults kept as pets to live-scent, the process is not that bad. The use of live lizards as opposed to frozen-thawed makes a tremendous diference as well -- MUCH better feeding response and I've been able to switch lizard-preferring babies (in both alterna and my much longer term experience with zonata and pyromelana) in a matter of a few months.

Jerry Kruse

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That zonata picture was taken back in March. She is now on pinks that are very lightly lizard scented. I take the thawed pink, open up the sceloporus tank, give the pinky a tap on the lizard, open up the shoe box, and she does an Emeril -- BAMM!!!
It's that easy rubbaneck.

Jer

ohhh I like dat $h*$ too.meda,I can sign with me feet too...

Racine

De goats chase me, Howee, and Pheel because we played da rrrong TUNE, and dey don't like it...... and now dey keeck me and Pheel in da teeth and our peeple don't like dis. Where we gotta go?!?!

Tarbash

Funny mon but i taut dat de owners of de goat spot were not jamaican mon but Phillipino. probably more like goat pancit rather than curry goat mon

Howie, it's an inside joke thingamajig. I'll e-mail ya fruitcake! But I heard you were one HELLUVA fisherman, a true master baiter......

Jerry

Sure thing tough guy! Look here sizzle chest! We'll be popin'
wheelies the whole way!!!!! LOL!!!!!
-Phil
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Work is the curse
of the drinking class!

Now if I only had an area here like the pine barrens where I can pick up a few hundred fence lizrds, then I would surely get alterna. That seems to be the answer to the feeding "problem", the problem is how to get the lizards. Wish there was a source that sold them as well as ground skinks. The one I used to use in Louisiana appears ot be gone now.

we don't run that kinda business here fruity.Maybe you could just tone it down to a choke.We all need dough.

L8r
Sal
I can't see so well sir!

whaddya trying to get cute, funny, fresh with me ya silly b@st@rd? How bout I fire you down into da yard along with the kettle and the hot mops!!! LOL....... Ya got them kings with the fava beans too?!?!

Jerry

I am sorry SIR, please don't be so hurtfull towards me.I am very very ascared of my own shadow.Its always choking me in the shower and I can't see so good.

Sal

Do you sell thermometers? Unbreakable ones? Uhhh, awwwhhhhh, becawwse, uggghhhh, one time, HELLO? Thaaank you. Yessss, HI. One time I sat down and it broke on me, and it hurt me bad. And I don't need dat. Maybe a hot poker, sumthin, to probe a cobra with. They went hiss, and whooootin -- SWOOP down and bit Holly's horses face right out. Cockadoodledooooo.....

Jerry (we gotta stop this thread....lol......)