Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently found a very large scarlet king snake. I took it home and put it in a 36" terrarium. It happened to stretch out along the glass. It was not totally straight but from nose to tail it was 32"s. I understand the largest found was 27"s. The snake seems a little thicker than other scarlets I have found. It has brilliant colors. The color and pattern are typical of the others that I have found here with the exception of two yellow rings located around the middle of the snake, halfway between the head and tail. These yellow rings connect together to form a circle on the top of the back. All of the rest of the rings are normal.
I have seen Corals in my area that are 30 but never a Scarlet. I wonder if the pattern variation and the abnormal size are related? Thoughts? Pic to come as soon as I get my husband to take some with the good camera.

I am intrigued! Await photos!
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Very cool! We look forward to a pic or two when you can get around to it..

The record for a Coral snake was an Eastern coral snake(Micrurus fulvius)at a whopping 47.5 inches long several decades ago. I seem to recall an old Ross Allen book mentioning that it was found swallowing an even larger cornsnake that was partially hanging out of it's mouth at the time..LOL!

Congrats on the nice Scarlet king!

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

my website -Serpentine Specialties

>> The record for a Coral snake was an Eastern coral snake(Micrurus fulvius)at a whopping 47.5 inches long several decades ago.

A Brazoria County, Texas Coral (Micrurus fulvius tener) measured in at 47.75"

I know it's only a quarter inch longer but you made me look in my Texas Snakes Field Guide by Allan Tennant because I remembered the Brazoria County animal on record......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Wow!,..that's a monster as well man!..LOL!

Does it give any mention when that one was found?

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

my website -Serpentine Specialties

>>Wow!,..that's a monster as well man!..LOL!
>>
>>Does it give any mention when that one was found?

The book doesn't mention a date but I know it was before 1990......
It was in the first edition back then........It is still mentioned in the latest (third edition)......

All I've found around here (on the Gulf Coast) were ones that were under 2 feet usually and one 3 footer years ago......They love the sand....and we have plenty of it....LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Yeah, I found another reference to the 47.75" Texas Coral on a Texas snake site as well.

Many would probably think that was someone's escapee Honduran if they saw that monster..LOL!

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

my website -Serpentine Specialties

Sorry for the misunderstanding..I have no idea the record for eastern corals or any corals for that matter. I was referring to the record for scarlet kingsnakes which I believe is 26 inches.

Micah, don't want insult you just curious, does it have a white belly? Scarlet snakes have white bellies. If the rings go all arond then you have a very large King indeed bro!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

I did the same thing Jorge, but Micah is mcbrawley not bradley... this is not Micah

Jeremy Thompson
Captive Born Investments Inc.

Your right Jeremy, it looks so similar. Sorry about the mix up, but still check the belly. Scarlet snakes which look almost identical to the kings, have plain bellies.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

Yeah Jorge, Jeremy's right, we ARE two different people. Although, I do have a snake with a white belly though...LOL!!!

I'm still waiting to see this monster.

Yeah, I was pretty much wondering if that could be a possibility as well. Even so though, the record for Cemophora coccinea seems to be only about 32.5 inches, so who really knows yet..LOL!

Around 2003 there was a guy who brought me a little 10 inch long snake that he thought was either a coral or a Scarlet king. From only a few feet away I first thought it was probably a Scarlet king too myself. But upon getting closer and checking it out.....indeed, it was a small Scarlet Snake(C.c.copei).

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

my website -Serpentine Specialties

don't forget Jorge...there are SK found near you that have white bellies too....
hehehe....
btw, shoot me an email
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Mark, didn't you post one with a plain belly phenotype a couple years ago?. I seem to recall one that was posted a long time ago??

You're right, anomalies that don't always fit their typical meristics certainly do show up now and then.

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

my website -Serpentine Specialties

No insult taken. It is a scarlet king. I am very familiar with them. I run across eastern corals and scarlet kings when I go for walks on the lumber trails. No white belly. No white at all, vivid yellow where the rings are. My cage is 30 inches long not 36 inches, My mistake, But that puts the snake between 26" and 28"s. Not the monster I thought. I have some pictures but need to get them downloaded. Many scarlet kingsnakes in my area. Are pattern deviations common in Scarlets? Thanks for your help.

When doctor Rossi returns I will take the snake to him. I think it might have a few mites.

I will have to post a picture. Took a few last night I will see if any of them turned out well. Now that I know it is around 26 to 29 inches I figure it must have been living large. Good skink hunting grounds in the area. The abberation in the pattern is strange to me though. I have never seen a a scarlet king snake have a pattern variation, maybe it is more common then I know.

For heating do you recommend a bulb or pad, Snake is in pine subtrate from where I found it.

It seems to have calmed down, doesn't thrash acts more like a constrictor. I hasn't bitten since the first night. Only have handled it twice, once for the capture and then to get pictures.

Red touches yellow.....kill a fellow....
Red touches Black......venom lack....

Don't worry about the white belly as someone mentioned....LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

If it is an eastern coral and not a scarlet kingsnake my husband should be dead 6 times over as the snake bit him 6 times when we first caught it. It has calmed down now. Did not bite when we took photos.

I do not have a url for the pics. I will email them to the users who responded to me.