Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering why adult speckled kings are so hard to come by in the pet trade, it seems every other species is readily available except this one. I have made several trips to east Texas in search of this "common" snake but with no luck. Anyone have any advice? Thanks
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Dustin Smith

To be honest, I think many view holbrooki as "junk" kings. Locally here in LA they are pretty common, but they dont have the appeal the other getula species have. I think some of this has to do locally with them being so common. No demand equals no supply. Also they are usually referred to as a more aggressive variety of common king (not true), which may turn many off, similar to texas rats loosing popularity due to attitude. Also, the fact babies can be hard to get feeding. I have never bred them, but hear the babies are notoriously hard to get feeding. Once established, they are as easily maintained and handled as any other common king IMO. I do see them advertised from time to time in the kingsnake.com classifieds. You just gotta look around or contact the breeders on this forum.

There are some morphs that are readily available like the Lavender and now the very pretty but very expensive white wall or white sided. Isis reptiles has these and also normals and hets.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

>>There are some morphs that are readily available like the Lavender and now the very pretty but very expensive white wall or white sided. Isis reptiles has these and also normals and hets.
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Whitewalls have dropped to $150 each.....Not very expensive anymore......
We have yet to see amel whitewalls or lavender whitewalls though......There seems to be a yellow amel trait too......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Whitewalls have dropped to $150 each.....Not very expensive anymore......

One of three most killer morphs of any colubrid. I can't beleive how quickly they dropped in price. I beleive Isis Reptiles dropped the price so low that the market had to follow. Never understood why. Except they are in a real hurry to move all their snake hatchlings in the first month or two.
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www.Bluerosy.com

>>One of three most killer morphs of any colubrid. I can't beleive how quickly they dropped in price. I beleive Isis Reptiles dropped the price so low that the market had to follow. Never understood why. Except they are in a real hurry to move all their snake hatchlings in the first month or two.

Not only ISIS Rainer.......
I plan on breeding my whitewall male to a lavender holbrooki next year......I also have the yellow amel and a male that is het for whitewall and amel.....
I have all the ingredients.....Now all I need is time and good luck.....LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Yes I have found quite a few speckled morph hatchlings but no adults. I would trade 10 texas rats for one speckled kingsnake, it seems they are the most common snake in texas, almost every herping trip reveals at least one. And you are correct about their bad reputation, if handled enough, they can become quite tame, and I have seen some very nice looking specimens.
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Dustin Smith

I'm not a morph guy and whitewalls and different stuff don't usually appeal to me but a plain evenly marked speckled is like a little diamond Python for me! To each his own

Jim Seatgent over at Split Rock has these Lemon yellow evenly speckleds that are locality animals . This on is not a great pic and just losing crossbars. Better pics on his site.

I like the whitewalls but there is just no getting past the pure beauty of a normal.
This is my pair of Galveston Texas animals.I just love them.

I also had a pair back in the day from the Flint hills of Kansas and I wish I still had them.

L8r

where do you find herps on the island? It's all so freaking developed it's painful.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Island???? not sure where you think they are from but not from any Island.
Anyway, I never found any of them but thats where they are from.

Galveston's an island...unless you meant galveston county
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

>>Galveston's an island...unless you meant galveston county
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No....there is Galveston proper and Galveston Island......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Yeah, Glenn Campbell's song ain't about an island..LOL!

I think Rainer will really enjoy this as well!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

i can honestly say i was never a Glen Cambell fan. But i did like him in the movie 'True Grit'.

It was his show where he always came out yelling "HI, I'M GLEN CAMBELL" that was annoying.

however listening to him now he blows away American idol contestants.

Don't know what any of this has to do with snakes but here is an old pic of me 1977. We smoked to much Alcapulco gold and ended up at Disneyland.

Check out the long hair, turtle neck ..and the sky shades!~

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www.Bluerosy.com

>>i can honestly say i was never a Glen Cambell fan. But i did like him in the movie 'True Grit'.
>>
>>It was his show where he always came out yelling "HI, I'M GLEN CAMBELL" that was annoying.
>>
>>however listening to him now he blows away American idol contestants.
>>
>>
>>Don't know what any of this has to do with snakes but here is an old pic of me 1977. We smoked to much Alcapulco gold and ended up at Disneyland.
>>
>>Check out the long hair, turtle neck ..and the sky shades!~
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>www.Bluerosy.com
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I'm listening to galveston now...
Glen Campbell's all right but not great.
when I was a avery young kid in Houston (pre 5th grade) when we said galveston we meant the island Fond memories.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Pic works for me. Try again.
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www.Bluerosy.com

LOL!,...yeah, I was definitely never into him either. But he is far better that alot of idiots now days.

Wish I could see your funny pic!. All there is, is an icon where the photo should be.

Yeah, lots of killer "Colombo", "Sins", and red and gold buds were consumed in MASS quantities back in those days..LMAO!!

While many punk kids my age were listening to the Archie's and what not, I was jammin' to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, and every other hardcore rock band out there. No easy-going "elevator" melodies were ever played by me or my friends, that is a fact..LOL!

I will post another old pic I found here sometime soon too, it was from about 1982!..LOL!

Meanwhile, you guys can relax with some easy-going tunes here from back in the day. Even though I was just ten here in 1970, I was far beyond my years compared to lots of other kids. After all, many of my friends had lots of older brothers that influenced us younger guys..LOL!

I could share lots of interesting stories, but I'd really better not..HAHAHAA!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

This is slightly weird because whenever i click on my post the pic does show up, yet you and john say you don't see it?

maybe that mexican stash was a little to good. LOL!
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www.Bluerosy.com

"maybe that mexican stash was a little too good"

LMAO!!,....yeah, that is very possible. You could be having issues with the "paraquat" that was used on it back then..LOL!

Yeah, I have seen that "FOTO TIME" icon every now and then in the past when you have attempted to post pics before. wonder why some go okay, and some don't....hmm

In any case, we would all like to see it, however the heck you have to do it!

BTW, for some more nostalgic entertainment value, here is a pic of me with "Junior" back when I was 22-23 years old(1982-83). I would give it some excersize quite often in the yard.

Below it is a pic a few years later after I donated the python to Metro Zoo in Miami. My girlfriend and I went to visit "Junior" to see how he was doing a few months later, and we were happy to see the snake was doing well and was being held by many people now and then. They would rotate it's show exposure with a couple other snakes they had there to prevent any undue stress.

I was even on that show "PM Magazine" with this snake, that Jimmy Sefalo, and Catrina Daniels were the hosts on. They were doing a segment of "Where the Boy Are" on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, and the PM Magazine van saw me with the python on the beach, and asked me if I wanted to be on TV with it!..LOL!

Man, that snake was one layed-back animal man!

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Nice Burm Doug! You can tell it's Florida, everyone is in shorts, lol.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Thanks man!,..

Yeah, it was in the summer I'm pretty sure.

Personally, I wouldn't own any Burms nowadays. There are simply too many cool colubrids that take up far less room...LOL!

But at the time it was neat to have I guess!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

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

While many punk kids my age were listening to the Archie's and what not, I was jammin' to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, and every other hardcore rock band out there. No easy-going "elevator" melodies were ever played by me or my friends, that is a fact..LOL!

Yo Doug!!!!
We have more in common than just age and snakes!!!! When I'm in my office with the doors shut, listening to Born to Be Wild or Magic Carpet Ride, my Bible Study Ladies go Ballistic!!!

Shalom Y'all!!!!

Pat GC

That is absolutely too HILARIOUS Pat!..LOL!

I remember quite vividly bringing the 45 record of "Magic Carpet Ride" to my third grade Show & Tell session, and while it was playing, the teacher(and some of the kids) were looking at me like I had two heads or something..LOL!. They were all thinking to themselves......"man, this little dude is really HARDCORE!"..LMAO!!

Yes, keep in mind, this record was played right after some kid in the class played his boring little goody-two-shoes "Archies" record with "Sugar" being the featured tune on it. Needless to say, my offerings "stepped it up a notch" in the class that day..HAHAHAAA!

Gosh!, this is some WAY funny stuff to be remembering man!. Thanks for joining in with your story!

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Well, at least they had an experience of something better than that Pablam!!!! My wife actually likes the Archies and gives me a hard time about my "Drug Music"!!!! That, is until I pointed out that anyone that likes "Sugar, Sugar" has no business calling Hard Rock Drug Music in this day and age of Organic this and that. Just like snakes--each to their own!!!

Shalom Y'all!!!!

Pat GC

LOL!!!,.....I can totally relate Pat!,.....great stuff there buddy!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Watching Jimmy Page is what inspired me to learn guitar, lol.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Wow bro!,....that is some funny irony, because I was debating about posting a Zeppelin video instead of the early Sabbath. I was watching countless vids of them playing concerts around the world last night. Yes, Led Zep were one of my favorite bands of all time bro, and I have countless songs on CD that I crank up on my 1000 watt Samsung surround sound stereo here..LOL!. Just listened to "No Quarter", and a few others the other day as a matter of fact..LOL!

Let me just say, if you can play the guitar even a fraction of the way Jimmy Page can, you are indeed AWESOME dude!..LOL!

You should post a video of you playing a "Led" tune with a brooksi around your neck to keep it in forum theme. I know I have gotten out of control here with some of this stuff that doesn't have a whole lot to do with kingsnakes, but it can be tough to refrain from stepping back a few decades once in a while I guess...LOL!

Rock on Jorge!..LMAO!!!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Here is a vid I have on youtube. I think there's some Zep in there somewhere? LOL. I was a bit heavier too, so don't laugh! I'll know if you guys laugh, i have connections, lol.
Link

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

I suck at adding vids to forums, lol.
Link

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

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!!!!

Geeez! man!,...YOU are INDEED THE MAN JORGE!!..LMFAO!!!

I guess you had to set it down so it could cool for a bit, huh??..LOL!

Awesome dude!!....loved it!

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks Jorge!!!!! Hope this one makes it!!!

Pat

I tried getting back into it a few years ago, thats why my wife got me that guitar but it just takes too much time to keep in practice and remember all those notes, lol. I forgot most of the songs I used to know. I mostly play now when I'm on the toilet
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Noes anyone remember the T.J.Brass, Nate King Cole,or Paty Page? theOLDherper pete

Yeah, I remember those old-timers.

You really weren't kidding when you said you were old..LOL!

You must have been an avid "Sing along with Mitch", and Lawrence Welk fan as well, as those guys really brought down the house!!

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

How about the guy with the turban who played the organ {mom's fovorite}. I think his name was Korla Pandit or something like that. Wow, that was a long time ago. Better gut off the subject, I'm getting to feel older. theOLDherper

Just kidding. Nat King Cole and Patzy Cline are "unforgetable"! A little before my time, but my mom used to play them.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

I know those guys a lot more than whoever it is Dmong is talking about
"walking my baby back home" is one of my wife's favorite songs.
And I'm probably the youngest one in this thread.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

np

"I mostly play now when I'm on the toilet"

Yeah, me too, but I usually only play a few "tunes" there after a not-so-agreeable meal!

Seriously though Jorge,....I am really impressed with your guitar playing abilities dude!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Talk about playing to the beat of a different drum, lol.

The guitar has always been theropy for me, like stress relief. I've never really cared about playing for others just for myself mostly. I used to get zoned out and play for hours in my room by myself as a teenager. I am so glad that stage of my life is past. But I still enjoy the music! Thanks Doug for the kind words.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

n/p
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Speckled Kings are really abundant in certain areas of Texas but harder to find in others.

They are downright abundant on the coastal prairie from the LA border west, but as you get much south of Victoria they start to show splendida intergrade patterns and aren't as attractive.
Further north and west I think they are spottily distributed. They are everywhere, but aren't common like they are on the coast.

They are very active right now. I frequently see them on quiet dirt roads through coastal marshland. In fact, they are quite common right up the edge of saltwater marshes and bays. They are under trash when it is cool but by this time of year they are becoming more nocturnal. I remember a few years ago in a coastal Wildlife Refuge I saw 5 adult male holbrooki in about 10 minutes crossing the road right after a cooling May afternoon shower. I hadn't seen one before that time all day, but when it rained, out they came (splendida will come out after rains in the day out in the West Texas grasslands as well).

I found this (unattractive) intergrade crossing a dirt road in Port Aransas last weekend at sunset while we were walking. Frankly these intergrades do nothing for me, although she did draw some blood!

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Interesting info Chris. I see what you mean about the intergrades. They resemble neither in a good way.

True, it may not be as attractive as either species, I would still love to see something like that in my area, not only would it be something different but it would show evidence of both species living here. I still wouldn't call it ugly, if you love snakes, you love them all, someone has to.
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Dustin Smith

Maybe it's just me but I think that snake is pretty.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Not just you; I think it's beautiful.

>>Not just you; I think it's beautiful.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

"tritto"? nice. but doesn't jeff charge us more to use the forums if we're being introduced to entirely new words? a language-creation fee or something?

He charges us to use this forum?
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

>>Maybe it's just me but I think that snake is pretty.
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>>King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
>> J Sierra
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

After careful reconsideration I.....

Nah, never mind. I still think it's oooogly! LOL

I am envious of Chris' being able to take cool photots of Kings while out on a walk. I guess this is why model T's where eventually sold in other colors than black? We all see appealing in different ways.

WOW!,....where the heck did that killer "Osceola-Suwannee" come from???

freakin' AWESOME!!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks Doug. It's one of Brandon Osborns Sulfurs. I lucked out and got one from his friend Clint Bartley.

Yeah, I did notice the strong "Sulfur" look to it there, but wasn't 100% sure. I have seen some "Osceola-Suwanne's" that looked almost identical to that in the past, maybe not QUITE as yellow though. The blotching on those over in the Tampa area are quite unique.

Yeah man, ......gotta love those Sulfur's Bob!!!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

So much for the black and white forum aye? That is awesome!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Isn't that a natural occuring phenotype of the local genotype and its exactly what is suppose to occur in that area? Is it the only one like that in that area?

Why is it an intergrade? In reality, its only an intergrade between what man has called two different types, yet there is no distint line between the two types, so they have to be the same type. The reason is, they are natural. Did man cause them to intergrade? if not, they are not intergrades, they are natural and ARE what they ARE.

Its only mans arbitrary prejudice that allows that natural animal to be called an intergrade. We think, are taught, its suppose to be one or the other, or look one way or the other. The funny part is, nature does not agree with us. That animal looks exactly like its suppose to look and its dang pretty. Cheers

Ok....

7 votes for Pretty.

2 votes not so Pretty.

The TRIBE has spoken.... LOL

Every so often, my wife, who hates snakes, makes me trim the herd ( OK, so I'm a wimp--but if Mama aint happy,then nobody is happy!!!!) During one of her purges I reluctantly gave up 4 different pairs of what I was told were 4 different locality Splendida/Holbrooki intergrades. Coming from California where I could Road cruise and find 5 or so Cal' Kings with different colors/patterns in the same night, I don't remember calling them intergrades. The same with San Diego Gophers. Why do getula outside Calif. get this appellation??? I suspect the need to communicate between ourselves and the market are the reasons. Frankly,(no pun intended FR!!!) I have yet to meet a getula I don't like!!!! Each to his/her own!!!! Just don't get me started on Ball Pythons!!!!

Shalom Y'all!!!

Pat GC

What about ball pythons?

My first exotic snake, I have a soft spot for them
garters were my first snake, also soft spot for them.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

>>What about ball pythons?
>>
>>My first exotic snake, I have a soft spot for them
>>garters were my first snake, also soft spot for them.

Those two snakes along with a corn make up the "my first snake" category......All BEGINNER snakes....lol......i wonder how many sold to youngsters make it through their first year of life.......

I think Ball Pythons have got to be easier to breed than calkings.......Won't the female become gravid if they are downwind of a male?.......LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I wouldn't know, never tried to breed them My ball was a rescue job, and got HUGE. I sold him (or her) off when I went to college; he never ate f/t and my folks weren't willing to feed live while I was in the dorm. I wish I still had him, biggest ball I've ever seen.

Looking back on it, I may have had the only parents in history willing to even feed f/t...I need to send them a belated thank you.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Yup, one of my firsts but I still carry guilt for all the imports I sold, all before CB was happening!!!! I'm not too optimistic about the wisdom of our Govt. If we don't hang together, provide sound husbandry education, and take our captive breeding seriously, we may lose a good part of our Hobby. Just my $0.02.

Shalom Y'all
Pat

"In reality, its only an intergrade between what man has called two different types, yet there is no distint line between the two types, so they have to be the same type."

....only a Sith deals in absolutes.....LOL.....thanks for the reality tutorial Mr. Pioneer.
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Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

Dustin,
I should have hatchlings this year if all goes well. I have a large group of LaFourch Parish, Louisiana adults and subadults.
I am also raising up Richland Parish, Louisiana speckleds that should be ready to breed in a year or two.
I personally consider speckleds one of my favorite kings and hope to change the stigma that seems to have followed the keeping of them. I have never had any problems with them and find them to acclimate well to captivity.
The babies that I have hatched out thus far have either taken frozen, thawed pinks without hesitation or have been a pain to get to start feeding on frozen, thawed pinks.
I also have Brazoria and Brazos, Texas speckled pairs. The Brazos may breed this year as well. And I also have a lone female speckled from Fayette County, Texas that I am looking to pair up with a male from the same county.
Always looking for other locale speckled kings as well. There is so much variety out there with speckleds. I really don't think a lot of people have any idea what they are missing by not working with these. Some of the so called "intergrades" are extremely beautiful in their own right as you can see by the photo that was posted below. And, as many have commented below, that is a beautiful snake (in my opinion at least). But then again, I like all the kings.
My E-mail is: BLB1029@cs.com if you'd like to send me a PM.
Brad Bauserman