Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone have info on the differences in speckled kings by locatlity? I'm interested in working with them and want to get the high yellow, with very little to no cross band patterns and would like to know where they are found. Hoping there's a website that provides locality differences out there...just haven't found it.

Thanks,
Roger

I have Speckleds from Harris and Liberty County TX, and they have high lemon yellow bottoms, with little pattern except bright speckles on each scale. They did have cross banded patterning as babies. I just saw ads on the classifieds for Liberty County TX WC animals, yet I found my Liberty at a show- and I think Glads might have a few. My Harris animals came from Split Rock Reptiles. I attached a shot of my male Harris TX.Good luck!

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Boa- Hogg Island, Bull: 1 yellow, 4 normals, 1 Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, 1 Kingsville TX Red Bull, 2 Corns- Okeetee, SC, 2 Foxes- Western, 2 Gophers- Sonoran- Cochise Co. AZ, 2 Kings- Black Easterns (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, 4 Coastal CA, 2 NC Eastern Chains (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.)2 Gray Banded 'Blair's', 2 Speckled, Harris Co. & Liberty Co. TX, Pines: 2 Carolina Northerns (M from NC, F from SC), 3 Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), 1 Southern- faded pattern, 2 Pythons- Ball, Rats: 2 Black, Henderson Co. NC, 2 Western Green, Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ, 11 Tarantulas, 4 Widows, 125 Orchid plants, 8 Outdoor Bonsai growing with the Roses, 10 African Violets, 20 assorted Tropical plants, 2 Freshwater Planted Aquariums

Roger, I have captured or seen WC specks from Lake Charles, LA, Baton Rouge, LA, the Greater New Orleans area of LA (St. Bernard, Jefferson, and Orleans Parishes), Slidell, LA, and Picayune, MS. All showed varying degrees of crossbanding, but I recall the ones from the more northerly areas like Slidell, LA and Picayune, MS showing the most. The more southerly ones south of Lake Ponchartrain in the Greater N.O. area westward to Lake Charles appear to be more evenly speckled. One large male I do recall that I captured here in Baton Rouge, LA even had a fluorescent type green tinge at times on this specks that was very pretty. If not mistaken the Liberty Co. area of Texas and surrounding areas are all near Houston, TX, which is east to southeast TX close to the western border of LA. These apparently show a high degree of uniform speckling with little to no crossbarring. I would assume the further west along the range you go you start getting spendida influence and more crossbanding. Conversely, the further northeast and east you go in their range I am sure nigra and possibly getula/floridana influence creeps in and may result in less speckling in general from nigra, or maybe more crossbanding from the getula/floridana animals??

Great post & info, guys. That pic of the speck is a beauty! Interested in seeing some pics of those from the locales mentioned to do a compare and contrast of their appearance.

reako45

Here are a couple from New Orleans that Kevin personally caught. I posted these before but you asked for local pics so maybe others will folow.

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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Sorry that first pic was not the one I wanted to post here's some more of the same snakes

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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Thanks! He is only getting better and better looking!
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Boa: 1 Hogg Island, Bulls: 1 yellow, 4 normal, 1 Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, 1 Kingsville, TX Red, Corns: 2 Okeetee, SC, Foxes: 2 Western, Gophers: 2 Sonoran, Cochise Co. AZ, Kings: 2 Black Easterns (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, 4 Coastal CA, 2 NC Eastern Chains- (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.), 2 Gray Banded 'Blair's', 3 Speckled, Harris Co. & Liberty Co. TX, Pines: 2 Northerns (M from NC, F from SC), 3 Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), 1 Southern, Pythons: 2 Ball, Rats: 2 Black, Henderson Co. NC, 2 Western Green, Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ, 11 Tarantulas, 4 Widows, 125 Orchid plants, 5 Outdoor Bonsai growing with the Roses, 10 African Violets, 20 assorted Tropical plants, 2 Freshwater Planted Aquariums

Thanks for the great post guys! Excellent info in both posts. I bought the two WC speckleds from east Texas recently in the classifieds and wanted to see if they were what I think they are...apparenty so! Ad says they are males....now to find some females from the same locale...and characteristics.

Thanks again.
Roger

Nice Roger, now you have something just like mine in the pic I posted. My Liberty County (Houston area- it borders Harris) is a great eater, and I can't wait to see how she turns out, from the WC snakes you bought in the classifieds- which I saw, she should look good. I would take your males to a vet to have them tested for Pin Worms however, as many WC snakes do carry those. The treatment is easy with 2 doses of Panicure measured out by your vet.
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Boa: 1 Hogg Island, Bulls: 1 yellow, 4 normal, 1 Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, 1 Kingsville, TX Red, Corns: 2 Okeetee, SC, Foxes: 2 Western, Gophers: 2 Sonoran, Cochise Co. AZ, Kings: 2 Black Easterns (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, 4 Coastal CA, 2 NC Eastern Chains- (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.), 2 Gray Banded 'Blair's', 3 Speckled, Harris Co. & Liberty Co. TX, Pines: 2 Northerns (M from NC, F from SC), 3 Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), 1 Southern, Pythons: 2 Ball, Rats: 2 Black, Henderson Co. NC, 2 Western Green, Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ, 11 Tarantulas, 4 Widows, 125 Orchid plants, 5 Outdoor Bonsai growing with the Roses, 10 African Violets, 20 assorted Tropical plants, 2 Freshwater Planted Aquariums

This is a really cool thread guys as I've got a big interest in these snakes. Currently I've got a single '05 female from Lemke stock. I'm in CA, and not too many folks work w/ holbrooki out here. My family originally comes from Lake Charles and Houston, which judging from you guys are good Speck locales. I'd love to get out there and herp for some locality specific animals.

reako45

I spent the first 32 years of my life in the Lake Charles area and saw many speckled kings. A few observations:
All adults we encountered were evenly speckled.
Even hatchling/juvenile banded specimens lost their bands and evened out as they grew.
None ever got longer than about 3 feet.
Some w/c would only take green anoles.
All in Calcasieu Parish (Lake Charles area) had pale yellow to greenish speckles.
Cameron Parish (South of Calcasieu Parish) were more gold to orange.
Temperaments varied widely from totally docile to totally Hannibal Lecter.
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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

Mfoux, I collected a large adult male north of LC one time. He was an easy four feet long. I also caught a three foot female the same day but she found a hole in the bag and skidaddled!!

I think the representatives of the subspecies along the coast across LA are pretty much evenly speckled to a degree, at least those south of I-10. As far as size, it is VERY variable IMO with monsters and puny ones being found anywhere IMO.

Size could also be a factor due to prey availability. I think these guys are more ophiophagus and inclined to prey on snakes and other coldblooded prey than ratsnakes in the area. I have always found them in swampy areas, or areas near water with a good chance to have large nerodia populations.

Funny how you mentioned temperment. Growing up in New Orleans I used to find them everywhere, but that was over 25 years ago. One was about 5 foot I named him Goliath and was super tame from the moment I picked it up. Others never really tamed down they just calmed down to where I could hold them with out getting bit, but rattled it's tail non stop and the musk, yes the musk. But my heart would always race whenever I came across one. I did have a couple eat their cage mates which were almost equal size, only to throw it up a day or two later. Nasty!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Mine was caught crossing a busy street in Galveston County, TX.