Reptile & Amphibian Forums

im fairly new to the herp-hobbyist world and i really like kingsnakes. i have 2 cali's now but i really like the gray banded but i have some questions and was hoping i could find some answers here.
do the adults hold there luster as they shed or do you end up with smudging over time?
do they tend to be difficult feeders?
do they have a tendency to have an attitude?
is it common to find the picture perfect high contrast orange and gray or am i asking too much?
all your input would be appreciated
thanks

do the adults hold there luster as they shed or do you end up with smudging over time? Never a promise on what the adult will look like, it is often a surprise. You can make a better guess knowing what the sir and dam look like and what is typical for a locality (or bloodline in the case of generics). Some will get darker, some will develope more contrast, some will start to get flecking in the orange, some will change very little. "Like a box of chocolates"

do they tend to be difficult feeders? Often they are, especially as hatchlings, but there are some well known tricks with lizard scent, etc to get them started. However, once you get them going on mice they tend to be easy to deal with... if you do not want to mess with it, then make sure any you buy are feeding on frozen / thawed mice already.

do they have a tendency to have an attitude? Generally they are not biters, but some of them will make a break for it while cleaning or feeding. Then there are the ones that are calm and will just "hang out", personality?

is it common to find the picture perfect high contrast orange
and gray or am i asking too much? Many generics are line bred for this look, but a hatchling can look very different as an adult.
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Herp Conservation Unlimited

thanks its kinda the answers i was expecting. i guess ill have to keep my eye out for a pretty one. as far as the feeding goes both my cali's are eating well on f/t and have a good feeding response. i only had to sent once with the female, after that she was good. they are both easy to handle with the occasional deffication on the hand(depends on their mood. thanks for taking the time to answer. do you know of any good breeders?

Look here:

Recomended Breeders

and here:

Classifieds

Lance

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Herp Conservation Unlimited

John Schmitt of Suncoast Herps. He has beautiful animals that feed well. Here is a girl I bought from him back in '07. He is an excellent person to work with and I give him my highest recommendation.

Here is his website:

http://www.suncoastherps.com/index.php

i just wanted to say thanks for the speedy responses to my post. it is appreciated. i believe i found some grays for sale that are just what i want. the dealers are on the recommended list and they both have good reports on the boi. i hope all goes well and i get the "perfect" grays that im lookin for.

thanks again
bob