Reptile & Amphibian Forums

On National Geographic channel I am watching a show called Python Hunters....theyre in the Everglades and it is quite interesting...
However the "hunters" just freaked out as they found a big gorgeous BROOKSI! One guy said it had been 7 years since he saw one in the wild.
This show is interesting, funny thing is the guys doin the study are Ball Python breeders... They're saying Pythons are declining and that they do indeed have predators that kill them....including Brooksi eating small babies.... YEAH BABY!
Tom Stevens
-----
TomsSnakes.com
twitter.com/TomsSnakes

I would like to see that episode.
-----
www.Bluerosy.com

Yeah I'm sure this last cold winter killed off a good bit of them too! I know it did a number on my fruit trees!
-----
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Kind of fun.

I really doubt anyone has observed a Florida king eating a python in the wild. I'm not saying it can't happen, I've found brooksi and pythons in the same spots on the same days, but I think this is just speculation.

How did you find "brooksi" when there is no such thing???

:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

The snake was sitting there coiled nice and neat, totally unaware of the fact that it didn't exist.

DUUUDE...I thought you had explained a few times on this forum that brooksi had been sunk??

:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

I like that show because there not focused on saying how dangerous they are, which I dont think they even are dangerous to humans unless your a little kid or baby.

Nah... I think I have always suggested that people reserve the term "brooksi" for the real deal snakes that fit the original description and originate from the Southern Glades, and call all the other stuff of questionable origin and darker appearance "Florida kings".

So you don't buy Krysko's results?

I sure see a lot of darker ones called brook's....and WAY too big!..... nothing like the cream colored ones of yesteryear...

:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

I agree with Krysko's results in that the former subspecies "brooksi" is just a localized light phase Florida kingsnake morph.

For the purposes of the pet trade, I think its a good idea to distinguish between Florida kings and Brooks kings. The brooksi phenotype is worthy of preservation, especially with how difficult they have become to observe in the wild.

It seems like the Lavender and especially the Whiteside "brooks" morphs often carry some very dark Florida king traits.

.......although they are simply a variant of floridana, the brooksi phenotype is certainly unique and worthy enough of continued recognition and perpetuation. The name is definitely over-used in the hobby as many of us know, but that is just all part of the game I guess. Heck, wrongly named snakes are an everyday occurrence in this hobby many times over.

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

No joke Mark, they said Brooksi, and even had text on the screen saying Brooks King. It was a screamer too.
-----
TomsSnakes.com
twitter.com/TomsSnakes

Yes I know, Tom. I saw it some time ago...
Was just razzin Nick on HIS use of brooksi when he has pointed out before that Krysko has published papers sinking that ssp. name.
All in fun.
:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Do you think they really found it, or was it likely staged with a captive animal?
-----
www.hcu-tx.org/

That I have no idea... but it was a trip seeing them freak over it. That snakes blew me away... man it was nice...
Tom Stevens
-----
TomsSnakes.com
twitter.com/TomsSnakes