Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi guys, I bought my regular calking(Lampropeltis getulus californiae) when he was at 15 inches, he's hitting close to 2 feet now.

Onto the question:

At what sizes are a calking considered a "baby"? For example, "from 1-5 inches, etc"
At what sizes are a calking considered a "juvenile"?
At what sizes are a calking considered an "adult"?

I don't think there is an official length to name thing.

15 inches is probably still a neonate, they hatch at about 9 to 12 inches. I consider them to be juvenile when they start eating hoppers, usually about 18 inches, and adult when they hit about 3 feet.
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Arrrggg!
It's like Shalom, but for pirates.
- iCarly

I agree 9 to 12 inches is a normal hatchling size for Cal kings, BUT, I have hatched individuals out at 15 inches. So it CAN be called a hatchling at that size.

Also adults are easily defined. They are adult when they become sexually mature, period. And that is from 24 inches, aprox(rarely smaller) up.

I have had 18 inch 10 month old males successfully sire offspring, so they have to be considered adult. Of course I have seen many two foot females successfully reproduce.

The actual size they become sexually mature is conditional, it really depends on support, both in nature and captivity.

The problem with reptiles is, they have genetic potential, with cal kings they have the potential to reach five feet or so. Yet, most individuals do not reach that. In fact, some individuals never exceed 30 inches in nature and in captivity. Yet, that are full on reproductive adults.

This is also controlled by regional genetics as well. While its possible to find a five foot western king in many different locals, most locals never see such a large western king. Anyway, thanks for your ear(eye) Cheers

They are adult when they become sexually mature, period.

It's semantics but I don't see it that way - they are sexually mature when they become sexually mature, and become sexually mature before they are adults. Just like people and cats and dogs and rats and ... become sexually mature before they are adults.

I do not equate sexual maturity with adulthood.

While snakes do not ever stop growing, they do hit a point where their growth rate (at least lengthwise) dramatically slows down, typically (but not always) around 3 to 3.5 feet for Cal Kings, which indicates they've reached adulthood to me.
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Arrrggg!
It's like Shalom, but for pirates.
- iCarly

I see it the very same way as you just mentioned.

A fourteen year old kid that is 5'2'' inches tall can father a child, but he is FAR from being an adult. The same goes for most any other animal too.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

you two are great and your welcome to believe what you want. hmmmmm comparing humans to animals, cool. I like it.

Sorry folks but went an animal is sexually mature, its an adult, a young adult, but still an adult.

Anthropromorphism at its best you guys, keep it up. Cheers

When I rescued my wild Cali king from the cat May 19 of this year she was about 13 or 14 inches long. Since king snakes generally hatch in the wild in the summer, I assume she was a 07 baby that being wild was not eating as much as a captive snake. She is now over 19 inches long and getting pretty beefy on regular meals!

I think how much they eat really has a lot to do with how fast they grow, more so than with other types of animals. I don't know enough about how to tell if a snake is sexually mature, though, but would go by at least three years and appropriate size to be safely gravid.

It probably was an '07.

Perhaps with exceptions, I suspect most wild snakes do not grow nearly as fast as they do in captivity, probably because they spend more calories hunting and spend more time inactive waiting for conditions to be right for them to go out hunting.
-----
Arrrggg!
It's like Shalom, but for pirates.
- iCarly