Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 2 black kingsnakes that I recently caught in the wild, they have both successfully eaten since capture and have mated. They are now each in their own container. How long after mating takes place until the eggs are laid? Ive found some good info on temps and how long til hatch but haven't found anything telling how long from mating to eggs being laid. I have had several snakes through the years but have never tried to raise any so this is new for me.

There is no one answer to this. It depends on how far along the female is. Can you feel any lumps in her belly when you run your finger along the legth of her abdomen? You may also want to let them mate several times before she lays. This will insure the most fertility. Post a pic of the snakes if you can. I'd love to see the WC Blacks. What area are they from?
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Disclaimer: I do keep several snakes in pairs, and some in groups. However I realize that things can go wrong, and I have to keep a close eye on those groups, to be sure they are not being adversely affected by these living conditions. Also if one happens to eat it's cagemate, it is 100% my fault, and I know the risks in advance!

What's wrong with using CAUTION?!?!?!
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
~ Jorge Sierra www.SierraSnakes.com

Thank you for your response. I caught them in West Odessa, Texas. I will post pics in a few after I check her to see if I feel any lumps 8)

>>I have 2 black kingsnakes that I recently caught in the wild, they have both successfully eaten since capture and have mated. They are now each in their own container. How long after mating takes place until the eggs are laid? Ive found some good info on temps and how long til hatch but haven't found anything telling how long from mating to eggs being laid. I have had several snakes through the years but have never tried to raise any so this is new for me.

This is what I have heard, 6 weeks is typical and has been for me. They can take as long as 2 months, but I don't think that is common. I had 2 Cal kings lay eggs after only 25 days this year.
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>>This is what I have heard, 6 weeks is typical and has been for me. They can take as long as 2 months, but I don't think that is common. I had 2 Cal kings lay eggs after only 25 days this year.

Yep. Always exceptions but I figured an average of about 40 days, which puts us pretty much on the same page.

>>>>This is what I have heard, 6 weeks is typical and has been for me. They can take as long as 2 months, but I don't think that is common. I had 2 Cal kings lay eggs after only 25 days this year.

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>>Yep. Always exceptions but I figured an average of about 40 days, which puts us pretty much on the same page.

Yeah, one of those things you can't put a number on.
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I thought you meant the black kings from back east. These look like kings you found in AZ or Mexico. One looks like a Desert king (axanthic looking on my phone) and the other a Mexican black king. Are they from the same locale? What county?
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I live in Odessa Texas and found them both a day apart in the exact same spot. I assumed they were a pair and put them together and they mated. I have since put them in separate tubs since I read they will eat one another.

>>I live in Odessa Texas and found them both a day apart in the exact same spot. I assumed they were a pair and put them together and they mated. I have since put them in separate tubs since I read they will eat one another.

That's odd, because MBK's are not found in Texas. Either you found a MBK someone released, or you found a melanistic desert king. Its hard to see detail on my phone, but it looks solid black. Is there any trace of pattern on it, and if so, where?
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No markings at all anywhere, solid black....

>>No markings at all anywhere, solid black....

Is there white on the black one's chin?

Does the patterned one have yellow pigmentation or is it as white as the photo?
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

isn't it? I guess he needs to find a few more from that area. I was kinda perplexed when he said Black Kings in Texas.
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Disclaimer: I do keep several snakes in pairs, and some in groups. However I realize that things can go wrong, and I have to keep a close eye on those groups, to be sure they are not being adversely affected by these living conditions. Also if one happens to eat it's cagemate, it is 100% my fault, and I know the risks in advance!

What's wrong with using CAUTION?!?!?!
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
~ Jorge Sierra www.SierraSnakes.com

Just posted more pics, oh and I am female 8)

>>Just posted more pics, oh and I am female 8)

Pardon me Mam! Nice find whatever they turn out to be. I would like to see more animals from that same local to get a better idea. The black one is most interesting. By the way many Mexican Blacks are born with a pattern, similar to the Desert King you found, and the pattern fades as they grow. If you get babies from this pair, keep that in mind.
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Disclaimer: I do keep several snakes in pairs, and some in groups. However I realize that things can go wrong, and I have to keep a close eye on those groups, to be sure they are not being adversely affected by these living conditions. Also if one happens to eat it's cagemate, it is 100% my fault, and I know the risks in advance!

What's wrong with using CAUTION?!?!?!
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
~ Jorge Sierra www.SierraSnakes.com

Solid black, no markings of any kind anywhere, the other one has white markings.....

Whatever they are, they are most handsome! Good luck with your breeding project.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Looks like Cindy deleted a post of mine and FR's. In that post, I explained how you might prove that to be a melanistic desert king through breeding. After seeing these new photos, it looks like what you found there is someones captive released axanthic desert king and MBK. The odds of anyone finding axanthic and melanistic desert kings in the wild so close together in time and place, are pretty much impossible. That's just my opinion. Nice looking kings.
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>>Looks like Cindy deleted a post of mine and FR's. In that post, I explained how you might prove that to be a melanistic desert king through breeding. After seeing these new photos, it looks like what you found there is someones captive released axanthic desert king and MBK. The odds of anyone finding axanthic and melanistic desert kings in the wild so close together in time and place, are pretty much impossible. That's just my opinion. Nice looking kings.
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Ross......there have been whitish splendida found in West Texas......that one she posted does have some yellow on it much like a few ive seen out that way.......

And I think all nigrita are melanistic splendida anyway........
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>>>Looks like Cindy deleted a post of mine and FR's. In that post, I explained how you might prove that to be a melanistic desert king through breeding. After seeing these new photos, it looks like what you found there is someones captive released axanthic desert king and MBK. The odds of anyone finding axanthic and melanistic desert kings in the wild so close together in time and place, are pretty much impossible. That's just my opinion. Nice looking kings.

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>>Ross......there have been whitish splendida found in West Texas......that one she posted does have some yellow on it much like a few ive seen out that way.......

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>>And I think all nigrita are melanistic splendida anyway........

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>>John Lassiter

>>Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>

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I'm looking at it through the phone, maybe that's why I can't see the yellow. So if it is a typical splendida, maybe the black one is melanistic. It would be interesting. to see if its inherited in a different way.
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>>I'm looking at it through the phone, maybe that's why I can't see the yellow. So if it is a typical splendida, maybe the black one is melanistic. It would be interesting. to see if its inherited in a different way.
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Well....I'm looking at in on a monitor today and it may just be the poor quality photo.....I really don't know if it has any yellow on it now....LOL

But....Todd Hughes (a friend of mine) found some black and white Splendida in west Texas a few years back. The only yellow on the animals was restricted to the very top of the dorsum.
I found one similar back in the mid 90s near Ft. Stockton.
None were totally white but were certainly hypoxanthic......LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Well....I'm looking at in on a monitor today and it may just be the poor quality photo.....I really don't know if it has any yellow on it now....LOL

But....Todd Hughes (a friend of mine) found some black and white Splendida in west Texas a few years back. The only yellow on the animals was restricted to the very top of the dorsum.
I found one similar back in the mid 90s near Ft. Stockton.
None were totally white but were certainly hypoxanthic......LOL

LOL Yeah, why the heck not? We can call them whatever we want. hypoxanthic sounds good to me. Same thing happens in some cal kings with the yellow on top and white on bottom. Strange...
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>>Looks like Cindy deleted a post of mine and FR's. In that post, I explained how you might prove that to be a melanistic desert king through breeding. After seeing these new photos, it looks like what you found there is someones captive released axanthic desert king and MBK. The odds of anyone finding axanthic and melanistic desert kings in the wild so close together in time and place, are pretty much impossible. That's just my opinion. Nice looking kings.
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Entirely possible. Remember sometimes when one goes they all go.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
Visit kingsnake on Facebook!
Follow Kingsnake on Twitter!

>>>>Looks like Cindy deleted a post of mine and FR's. In that post, I explained how you might prove that to be a melanistic desert king through breeding. After seeing these new photos, it looks like what you found there is someones captive released axanthic desert king and MBK. The odds of anyone finding axanthic and melanistic desert kings in the wild so close together in time and place, are pretty much impossible. That's just my opinion. Nice looking kings.

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>>Entirely possible. Remember sometimes when one goes they all go.

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>>Cindy Steinle

>>PHFaust

>>Visit kingsnake on Facebook!

>> Follow Kingsnake on Twitter!

ok that explains It. lol thanks. I was wondering what happened there.
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>>>>Entirely possible. Remember sometimes when one goes they all go.
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>>ok that explains It. lol thanks. I was wondering what happened there.
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Yep. Thats what happens when bickering starts. I do want to apologize, but its about the best I can do unless I want to spend every waking hour with you all.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
Visit kingsnake on Facebook!
Follow Kingsnake on Twitter!

Hey, I wouldn't mind...
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>>Hey, I wouldn't mind...
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HAHAHA I do! Last year I got hooked on this new trend. All the kids are doing it. It is called herping. It involved hiking in the great outdoors to see a variety of things cold blooded (mostly frogs and turtles here in WI) but see it is also a new way for me to exercise and not realize it. Great for prevent the spread of the behind.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
Visit kingsnake on Facebook!
Follow Kingsnake on Twitter!

I don't blame you. You have to take advantage of the good weather before winter comes again.
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>>I don't blame you. You have to take advantage of the good weather before winter comes again.
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Hell that is only a month away.
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Cindy Steinle
PHFaust
Visit kingsnake on Facebook!
Follow Kingsnake on Twitter!

>>>>I don't blame you. You have to take advantage of the good weather before winter comes again.
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>>Hell that is only a month away.
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>>Cindy Steinle
>>PHFaust
>>Visit kingsnake on Facebook!
>> Follow Kingsnake on Twitter!
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Very interesting Petunia.

If you have a real digital camera... or have a friend with one... you know, something capable of a real sharp picture... good pictures would be appreciated as more than a few here are curious as to just what you've come across.

Gerry