Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Which grow larger when you talk cali kings, male or female?
I thought that in all Lampropeltis, the males grow larger, but have just read than in cali kings, the female tend to grow larger. So what is true?

Thanks a lot

Jonas

I've heard males grow larger w/ most getula ssp.

reako45

All things being equal, the males of the getula complex generally attain a substantially greater size than do females. However, in captivity, many times the focus of feeding can be much more geared to the heavy feeding of females for egg production, and far less focus on the males. So it can sometimes "seem" as though the females are actually larger. In the wild there would be a broader tendency to see larger males however.

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Ok thanks. That makes more sense.
Do you know the record size for a california king?

as far as I am concerned the males get usually over a foot longer than the females, I say this with confidence as I live in california and have been catching/releasing them since age 5 and never have I found a female over 6 feet usually more like 5 feet or under males on the other hand I have collected at 6feet long and some verging on 7feet. these were all wild snakes from about 15-20 years ago measured by my brother and myself. I notice that now days the really large ones are far and few between, I have been finding them at much smaller sizes usually not exceeding 3 or 4feet

From what I've read the max recording for a california is 6'. So you're saying you've caught multiple ranging from 6-7'? What did you use as a measuring technique? Not to call you out, but I find it hard to believe without pics.
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- Matt

1.0 Black Milk '04
1.0 Andean Milk '06
0.1 Eastern King '97
0.1 Bullsnake '09

I'm with you here. I've seen a very near 5-footer so I'll buy into the the possibility of 6ft Cal king somewhere. But 7ft? That seems stretching it, no pun intended.
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Mark