Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, i was wondering if anyone knows a breeder that can produce speckled kings that look like this pic? I like speckled kings that have a bright yellow color with a speckle pattern that does not have any banding.

>>Hi, i was wondering if anyone knows a breeder that can produce speckled kings that look like this pic? I like speckled kings that have a bright yellow color with a speckle pattern that does not have any banding.
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Check out Jim Sargent....He has some "Lemon Kings" from wild caught stock that are evenly speckled and have nice yellow.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Thanks!

>>Thanks!I like those yellow ones a lot, but the Salt and Pepper kings are very nice too!

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

Yes, the salt-n-pepper color is nice too. In general, i think speckled kings have the coolest looking head and eyes because of the way the pattern is spread across them.

>>Yes, the salt-n-pepper color is nice too. In general, i think speckled kings have the coolest looking head and eyes because of the way the pattern is spread across them.

Here's some of mine......
Notice some of the pics where they have attitude......

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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Wow so many good looking snakes, i wouldn't know which one i'd want.

Looking good John! I really like that lemon yellow, and that last one, is it a speck also?
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

I got my lemons (Harris County TX local from Split Rock Reptiles, they werent cheap but they are lookers! My male is posted below

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BULLS: Pr normal (KS&TX), 1 Pr Northern (M Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada & F Minn), Pr Kankakee Co, Ill, CORNS: Pr Okeetee, SC, FOXES: Pr Western, KINGS: Pr Black Eastern (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, Pr. NC Eastern Chains (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.), Pr."Goini", Franklin Co. Fla, Pr. Costal Banded Cal (M Hypo & F normal) Pr Speckled, Harris Co. TX, PINES: Pr Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), Pr Southern (F light phase & M- Aiken, SC), PYTHONS: Pr normal Ball, RATS: Pr Black, Henderson Co. NC, Pr Black (M White Side & F Leucistic), Western Green, F (Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ), OTHERS: 10 Tarantulas, 155 Orchid plants, 30 assorted tropical plants and violets, 3 Freshwater Planted Aquariums with West African Dwarf Cichlids and 2 condo-porch gardens with Bonsai, Roses and etc...

>>I got my lemons (Harris County TX local from Split Rock Reptiles, they werent cheap but they are lookers! My male is posted below

Yep....that looks like the ones I remember Jim Sargent at Split Rock Reptiles.......

The original stock was collected on a fence line in Harris County that is no longer there.....The area has since been developed.

I think they came from Scott Wahlberg.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

yep, the field is gone according to Sargent's site, and I was refered to him from someone on here actually when I asked EXACTLY the same question as above 2 years ago and the forum came through for me then, and on helping me find snaketraders for my pair of Eastern Black Kings... Aint that a dill!
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BULLS: Pr normal (KS&TX), 1 Pr Northern (M Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada & F Minn), Pr Kankakee Co, Ill, CORNS: Pr Okeetee, SC, FOXES: Pr Western, KINGS: Pr Black Eastern (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, Pr. NC Eastern Chains (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.), Pr."Goini", Franklin Co. Fla, Pr. Costal Banded Cal (M Hypo & F normal) Pr Speckled, Harris Co. TX, PINES: Pr Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), Pr Southern (F light phase & M- Aiken, SC), PYTHONS: Pr normal Ball, RATS: Pr Black, Henderson Co. NC, Pr Black (M White Side & F Leucistic), Western Green, F (Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ), OTHERS: 10 Tarantulas, 155 Orchid plants, 30 assorted tropical plants and violets, 3 Freshwater Planted Aquariums with West African Dwarf Cichlids and 2 condo-porch gardens with Bonsai, Roses and etc...

That is the most beautiful speckled king i've ever seen!

I'm aware that kings are generally less reluctant to bite than corns and that they can have a bite first ask later attitude during feeding. However, is there any truth in the perception that speckled kings are one of the nippier king species? I'm sure people's experiences vary, but i'm still interested in hearing the responses. Thank you.

>>I'm aware that kings are generally less reluctant to bite than corns and that they can have a bite first ask later attitude during feeding. However, is there any truth in the perception that speckled kings are one of the nippier king species? I'm sure people's experiences vary, but i'm still interested in hearing the responses. Thank you.

Actually it varries from one individual to another. One of the tamest snakes I've ever owned was a huge Speckled King named Samson. Then some of the most disagreeable snakes have also been Speckleds. I also have the same experience with Floridana. Both of those specks I posted earlier are WC from New Orleans. Both are very timid. They shake their tails a bit and if they are full and agitated they may musk or crap, but for WC snakes they are very pleasant. I remember one poster in another site said he would sit and watch TV with his Speckeld resting on his chest. So there is no one answer. I'm sure the others will agree.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

>>I'm aware that kings are generally less reluctant to bite than corns and that they can have a bite first ask later attitude during feeding. However, is there any truth in the perception that speckled kings are one of the nippier king species? I'm sure people's experiences vary, but i'm still interested in hearing the responses. Thank you.

There may be no ONE answer but out of the 100 I've produced and/or collected the young ones ALL vibrate their tail, strike, flop around and bite......Not all the adults do though........
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Me and a buddy of mine who have personally collected or handled speckled kings collected by others in Louisiana for quite awhile now have noticed the very large males are usually VERY calm and "tame" from the moment they are captured. However, many of the babies and females are very fiesty and may stay that way for quite some time. Seems like the very large four foot plus animals we find are always males. Very odd observation. In fact, my friend saw a huge speck being sold at a herp show earlier this summer by another acquaintance of ours and bought it dirt cheap just because of its size. Sure enough, calm as could be and male LOL!!

When I kept a number of speckleds 20 years ago, I had the same experiences. I had several large adults in the 4' range that were calm as can be....mostly males. Smaller animals and juveniles were always very defensive, bitey, flighty, and always rattling their tails. I wonder if this has anything to do with hatchlings being so small...sort of a short man's syndrome.lol.

>>Me and a buddy of mine who have personally collected or handled speckled kings collected by others in Louisiana for quite awhile now have noticed the very large males are usually VERY calm and "tame" from the moment they are captured. However, many of the babies and females are very fiesty and may stay that way for quite some time. Seems like the very large four foot plus animals we find are always males. Very odd observation. In fact, my friend saw a huge speck being sold at a herp show earlier this summer by another acquaintance of ours and bought it dirt cheap just because of its size. Sure enough, calm as could be and male LOL!!
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

Brandon, my buddy and I have "speckulated (pun intended)" a couple of theories regarding temperament and sex of these wild caught large specks. One of theories is that these large specks have "outgrown" their natural predators and just dont really fear or react in a prey-like fashion any longer. But this doesnt make that much sense to me because surely a large hawk/predatory bird, feral hog/cat, etc. could dispatch even these large specks, and it doesnt account for the sex preference we see in these large specks. The other theory is a bit of a combination. The larger size could be attributed to males who can use their food energy more for growth than females who produce eggs may be able to do over their lifespan. Then the calmness could just be a matter of size and lack of prey fear. Its not a scientific study, but just a REALLY coincidental observation we have made.

BOTH of my speckleds- male and FEMALE are tame as can be... and i feel this is because I would handle them to put them in feeding cups with their pinks as soon as i got them about 2years ago. I have always fed them out of their cages for the most part, as a result, they have become dog tame and hardly ever rattle... my female is as sweet as can be. These snakes attract the most attention with my friends and people that want to look at the orchids and snake room.. and they always get "ohhhs and awwws" when I use them in programs. And they are eating machines. So handling them regularly as babies will definatly help them become friendly- male or female.
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BULLS: Pr normal (KS&TX), 1 Pr Northern (M Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada & F Minn), Pr Kankakee Co, Ill, CORNS: Pr Okeetee, SC, FOXES: Pr Western, KINGS: Pr Black Eastern (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY, Pr. NC Eastern Chains (M from Union Co. & F from Mecklenburg Co.), Pr."Goini", Franklin Co. Fla, Pr. Costal Banded Cal (M Hypo & F normal) Pr Speckled, Harris Co. TX, PINES: Pr Louisiana (pure descendants of Terry Vandeventer stock), Pr Southern (F light phase & M- Aiken, SC), PYTHONS: Pr normal Ball, RATS: Pr Black, Henderson Co. NC, Pr Black (M White Side & F Leucistic), Western Green, F (Mt. Hopkins, Cochise Co. AZ), OTHERS: 10 Tarantulas, 155 Orchid plants, 30 assorted tropical plants and violets, 3 Freshwater Planted Aquariums with West African Dwarf Cichlids and 2 condo-porch gardens with Bonsai, Roses and etc...

Kevin remember the two small females I got that you caught? One is a little nervous, never really bites but rattles and poops. Not so much now but more so when I first got them. However the other one is very calm. You said it was calm from the moment you caught her. Another excemption is my very first snake ever. It was a baby speckled and was super tame. I don't know what sex it was and unfortunately escaped after a couple months. Then I got the large male, Goliath. I said Samson on an earlier post, but I guess my mind isn't as sharp as it used to be, lol.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

I wonder if location has any effect on temperment? Especially where they may be intergrading with the nieghboring subspecies?
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

>>I wonder if location has any effect on temperment? Especially where they may be intergrading with the nieghboring subspecies?

I think this is possible because I can usually tell if a baby getula from around here (I live on the intergrade zone line) is more splendida or holbrooki just by the way they act......

The Holbrooki babies ALWAYS act defensive.....The Splendida babies not so much.........

At one time folks thought that they should be one subspecies.....There are different in many ways......They are different in attitude and size at hatching.......Splendida come from drier areas and Holbrooki are always near water.....At least in my neck of the woods they are......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 would have to agree also John that Splendidas are calmer, at least the ones I have seen. I really don't have too much experience with a great number ogf them though. They never did het me too excited, for some reason.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

Hey Jorge, I agree about the exceptions and obviously becoming tame in captivity is a matter of handling, etc. However, generally the massive specks I have caught were usually the calmest, and usually male for some bizarre reason. I agree that I have seen other sized/sexed specks act calm or freak out without rhyme or reason, both WC and CB examples.

As far as "subspecies" temperament variation, I am not so sure. I have seen some pretty pissy nigritas, spendidas, and cal kings in my day, as well as very calm ones LOL!! I remember reading in herp books about holbrooki being one of the more nervous and irritable of the common king clan and never understood why they got such a bad rap. When I was a kid, the specks were always the local snake in demand because they were definitely calmer and more tameable than the texas rats, water snakes, and garter snake options we had at that time LOL!!!

I have the same memories Kevin. As you know we both grew up in the same area, that is why I was wondering if locale may have something to do with it? I remember most Specks from the New Orleans area where we grew up, were fairly tame. I do remember a few that were hellfires too though, lol.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra