Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've mostly kept milksnakes over the years, although I've had a couple kingsnakes, including a California kingsnake. I've recently become very interested with the many morphs of the Florida kings.

Besides many being highly attractive, the Florida kings grow to be a respectable size, something like a Cali on steroids. What really attracts the Floridana connoisseurs to them? I don't mind a super feeding response, but prefer laid back and and "friendly animals"... How's their temperament in general as opposed to say, a Sinaloan?

Thanks!

Dan

The feeding response is part of what interests me Its partly nostalgia as well, as they were one of the first species I kept as a kid.

But I like the patterns, I like the feeding response...so yeah I got some

7) Hard to Kill. Great for beginners. The toughest captives.
6) Mellow disposition- easy to handle
5) Large yet not to large to keep in a sweater box
4) Not spastic like calif kings or hondurans etc
3) New recessive traits which will snowball in the future into many new double and triple recessive traits icluding THE JELLY does what no other trait does in kingsnakes gentics.

2) great investment snake if you get some of the new traits or combo traits.

Where else does herpetoculture have to turn for rare investmet snakes? I would guess the hognose and scaleless corns is all that I see on the horizon.

1)..and the number one reason Florida kings are great snakes..

THEY ARE NOT BALL PYTHONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PEABINO (Peanut butter x Lavender albino)x MOSAIC Florida king breeding.

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www.Bluerosy.com

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

"They that can give up essential liberty, to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin

I just think the market is crazy. But a good normal BP is a fine snake.

I have many different snakes from Hondos to Hogs to boas to rat snakes and FL KINGS are by far the best! Something about seeing their heads poking out of eggs each year just keeps me hooked. And Rainer that first pic is awesome! Those babies are growing like crazy!

I just got my first pair of Floridas and I'd say their temperaments aren't bad at all. They're yearlings and are less skittish than the average Honduran. Only one of them has bitten, and then only once.
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http://www.mikefoux.com
http://snakerack.blogspot.com

1.2.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
0.1.0 Corn Bloodred
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
1.1.0 Brooksi Hypo
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
1.2.1 Leopard Geckos, various morphs
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

Part of my attraction to the floridana are that they sort of bring me back to my childhood in the late 60's, early 70's, as I had a few very nice W/C locality brooksi from extreme southern Miami/Dade county, as well as many other types of snake.

*They are VERY laid-back and handleable when not in "feed" mode.

* Attain a fairly large robust colubrid size

* Extremely hardy snake

* come in many different interesting morphs

* Show lots of individual personality

* Even as hatchlings, they are not flighty, or spastic like many young Hondurans and other milks generally are(although I love those too, and have many).

*The very last thing these guys are is "fragile"..LOL!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I'd not call my floridiana handleable...they're not flighty but they have th is tendency to try to eat my hand. It's sort of funny right now, but later on it may hurt. But damn they're neat. And OMG the feeding and growth...my rescue job went from about 40 grams to 140 in a couple of months. the hatchlings I got from bluerosy in October back are in the 60 gram range and chomping hoppers. They have the same temper as some of my retics...pretty calm if they can be convinced you're not a snack.

LOL!!,....yeah, the convincing them you aren't a snack can sometimes be the toughest one to convince them of!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Funny thing is none of my florida kings (and I plenty) never try to bite my hand once i am holding them. When they are in the hand they know it is not a food ietm. Some of them do however come rushing out of the the tub when because this is a learned feeding response. My only guess why a florida king would bite the hand once it is in the hand, is the snake is extremly hungry or just smells mice. I feed mine well so I never have that happen within my collection. Feed your florida king more and i bet they stop once they are picked up and handled.

then again all these florida kings are also individuals. Some react more to a feeding response than others. I would say 10% have a aggressive feeding response.

I think the snake that mistakes the hand as a food item the most is a Rosy Boa. Man those guys have some big teeth for such a gentle snake and can be hard to remove.But again it is the individual snake. Not all are like this. just the bad-boys get all the press.

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www.Bluerosy.com

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

"They that can give up essential liberty, to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin

My breeding group of mice is nearby so that's probably it. The damn room always has a mous-y scent to it. soon as my house snakes are all on F/t I'm feeding out all my mice to the kings.

Yes Rainer, I know all that great stuff. Mine have only done that one time, and it was because I had other snake smell all over my hand because I forgot to wash as I usually do before messing with the kings.

I was basically just making some funny conversation about them, that's all.

I also definitely agree with them having individual personalities, as do ALL snakes, and am ALWAYS telling people this. All my getula are very laid-back about being held as well, as long as they are out first and know they are not being fed.

Um,...unless of course they smell other snakes all over me that is..LOL!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Same with me Doug. I had a real nice Florida Back then and that's why I Got one of these. I was lucky enough to get it from a friend of Brandons that didn't need it anymore. The pic is from Brandons friend Zenny? I believe? It's such a nice pic I have had it as a computer wallpaper on many occassions! Awesome but hungry animal! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!

Awesome Bob!. Yes, Brandon and Zenny have some sweet looking brooksi for sure.

That one you have is no doubt from his yellow "sulfur" line that originated from the Tampa,Florida area.

Very nice indeed!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Np

I have an Eastern that is 13yo and had a large male florida that was extremely easy going and an awesome lap snake. He never showed any aggresiveness in the 3 years I had him. Died randomly 2 years ago, too bad.

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Matt from Minnesota

Sorry about the loss of that impressive king! Very healthy and perfect and just died like that really does sucks. You need to take a little time and grab at least 2 or 3 of em then your good to go

Thanks,

He was about 6' or so. I'm shopping for a bullsnake now, because right now I've got a black milk, the eastern, and an Andean milk. Time for a keeled scaled snake, and a big one!

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Matt from Minnesota

Ah yes the black milks I need a pair someday. Bullsnake is a way to go! But I would rather go for pines.

That's a hulk. Well fed too.
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www.Bluerosy.com

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8".

"They that can give up essential liberty, to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty or safety." -Benjamin Franklin