Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there any difference in temperament (ability to become hand tamed) between California and Florida Kings? Between albinos and normals?

No, there isn't any correlation whatsoever. They are all individuals, and there will always be some that are more docile about being held than others of any of the different types.

Some gentle handling will of course help with getting any individual more accustomed to being held. Some can be a bit nippy and flighty, while others can be very laid-back right from the egg, and anything in between as well.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

I am relatively inexperienced compared to many here but I try hard to gain the trust of my snakes with very gentle handling. I also expose them to indirect disturbance to whatever degree they seem comfortable with and maybe just to the edge of discomfort. By "indirect disturbance" I mean artbitrary activity in their visual/physical space which is NOT directed toward them. Cage maintenace activities are an obvious form of this.

I also enjoy the probably rare circumstance of keeping them in my office/bedroom and I often let them out for extended periods. Most of them come to ignore my activities even in very close proximity...in fact some will often crawl over my hands/keyboard as I'm typing! Naturally great care is taken to avoid accidents so I am very conscious of their presence. On a side note, it's pretty darn cool to have your favorite snakes crawling over you and in your space while you are working at the computer

When putting them back into their enclosures I generally let them procede of their own will rather than just dump them in. I try to let them feel they are in control by minimizing application of constraint but of course there are some which defy my intentions and remain jumpy.

That's all good stuff Monklet!, and I can relate well to ALL of what you said too. The indirect disturbance/activity can and does get many snakes more accustomed to tolerating human movement, and in conjuction to gentle deliberate handling, can work wonders for calming down some of the more nervous snakes.

Of course there are ALWAYS exceptions to some of this, and I personally own some of these too..LOL!

Good post man!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

Cal kings from coastal localities tend to be more likely to musk on you than Cal kings from arid localities. Again, this isn't 100% true, but there seems to be some correlation.

Albino Cal kings are heavily descended from coastal Cal kings. Many are quick to musk. Again, not all, but many. Some folks have suggested that albino Cal kings tend to be more nervous than non-albino Cal kings. That was overall true in my collection with albinos from 15 years ago, but I couldn't say if there in fact is anything to that now with all of the mix and match Cal kings being bred. Perhaps Kerby will offer better info on this, as he produces more Cal kings than God.

Florida kings as adults can be very laid back once you get past the feed response. So can Cal kings, but I think Florida kings have more tendency to be extremely calm. I bet Bluerosy will tell you more about this.
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Mark

It's strange but living on the West Coast/Southwest, there are very few people I've talked to that have owned Florida Kings. Are they a lot harder to care for than Cali or Mexican Kings?

Florida kings are very good captives, and very easy to maintain, so long as their basic husbandry is met. Not unlike many other kings, milks, or N. American Ratsnakes.

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

>>It's strange but living on the West Coast/Southwest, there are very few people I've talked to that have owned Florida Kings. Are they a lot harder to care for than Cali or Mexican Kings?

Just as simple as Calikings and simpler than Mexican Kings......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...