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Went to the Cleveland Reptile Show today for frozen feeders. While I was taking the box of feeders to the car my wife found this guy and named him 'Orlando'. What...like I'm gonna say no?

new albino FLA king

It's an interesting looking snake, but just so you totally understand, it's not an amel Florida king. It has other subspecific influence going on in its lineage without a doubt.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

could be an amel "mosaic" Florida king too though, and those ARE certainly true aberrant Florida kings that originated from animals just south of Lake Okeechobee. I saw a photo of one a couple years ago as it was field collected in Clewiston, Florida.

Thing is though, the albino gene itself in the so-called "Florida" kings was acquired from amel and lavender Cal. kings being bred into them to begin with.

But at least the mosaics originated as very authentic locale Florida kings.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I would call it an albino mosaic.

I wouldn't say for certain that all FL lavenders are borrowed from Cal kings. There have been at least 3 cases where it has turned up in WC FL kings, and there are probably other instances we don't know about.

That said, the most common lavender mosaics (GR stock) seem to have some serious west coast leanings.
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www.brooksi.com

Yeah, I would certainly call it an albino Mosaic too. The nuchal marking on the neck is also very indicative of the mosaic floridana phenotype as well.

Aside from Enge's lavender that was sold, what are the other two authentic wild stock lavender floridana you mentioned?

Yes, it wouldn't take much for some albino Newports to be crossed into floridana to give a very similar appearence for sure. Certain Newport x mosaic breedings would be quick and easy to give the same general appearance.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

They're captive hatched ones from Palm Beach County. I know the collector/breeder of one of them, and I'd have to dig around to find out about the other one.

The Tim Ricks lavenders were supposed to be legit too, but their history is not as clear.
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www.brooksi.com

"They're captive hatched ones from Palm Beach County. I know the collector/breeder of one of them, and I'd have to dig around to find out about the other one.

Tim Ricks lavenders were supposed to be legit too, but their history is not as clear."

That's pretty cool. I'd personally put more faith in the one's from Palm Beach stock that your friend has. I've heard of the one's Tim Ricks and Lloyde Lemke had too, but both those guys also had the bogus Cal. king crosses as well, plus I understand that Tim Ricks was affiliated with SR who also worked with the crossed Cal. king line too at the time. And as you mentioned, the history of those is very unclear. So that doesn't sound real assuring or convincing.

Rainer claims he spoke to Tim Ricks back in 1993 and that he told Rainer how they came about. I'd sure like to hear the detailed story of exactly how they came about. But realistically, at this late point in the game nobody knows what's what anymore anyway since all of them have been bred back to so many more floridana since then from every John Doe Breeder there is out there.

I'd be interested in hearing more about those Palm beaches some time.

Thanks a bunch for the post, Nick.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I'm glad you scored the nice albino mosaic and are feeding it, because whoever had it before was really neglecting the snake in regards to feeding. But it really needs to be fed much larger meals too. That said, it's also smart not to make its more delicate system that isn't used to processing these decent sized meals all of the sudden have to,...risking a regurge. So feed it two small ones like that a couple times then up the size like I mentioned. That way its stomach is accustomed to processing meals and getting the acids back up to balance beforehand and can handle it far more easily without the risk of a regurge.

It should be eating meals of size that it has to work at getting down that produce a decent visual mid-body bulge. And it also has to have enough warmth on one far end to help properly digest the larger rodents as well. This is VERY IMPORTANT to remember to do!!

Two of these is the size of what it should easily be eating after a few easier meals and the proper heat on one end only to allow proper digestion without regurging.

You can see the bulge from the other one it just ate prior to taking this one down too.

As it got larger, so do the meals.....Many people get used to, and keep feeding their young snakes the same sized rodents they were eating months before, and that simply isn't enough. The meals have to keep coinciding with their growing size.

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I'm with ya. When I saw him I told my wife he was kinda thin but she wanted him. He ate 2 of those rat pinks today and is actively exploring his cage. He has an UTH beneath a basking lamp on one side and his hide box on the other. I don't usually want to feed a new arrival for a couple of days but he was too thin for my comfort level! Will give him a few more feedings of rat pinks and then move him to weanling mice etc.

Cool!.....

Is your UTH not warm enough to supply enough warmth by itself?

I say that because especially in the winter months the air is EXTREMELY dry and the heat lamps really dry things out far worse and can really dehydrate snakes pretty bad when they don't also have a source of humidity to seek, such as a humid-hide with moist sphagnum moss, etc...

Anyway though, glad it is being fed some now, and will then be upped accordingly when its gut gets a few small feedings under its belt......good deal!...

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Yep, he's been in and out of his sphagum moss "humid hide" all day, his big water bowl/swimming pool is on the side with UTH to help with humidity. In addition, the snake room is equipped with backup heater set at 75 (house stays around 68-70 in winter) and a humidifier set at 55%. Thanks for the replies and input!

yep, no problem.......I'm sure it will be doing real well now.

Let us know how it's doing and bulks up in time.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

This one seems to be a mosaic albino of some kind.

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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

Beautiful animal! Seems a little 'cleaner' than mine. More contrast in pattern and color. Nice!

>>Beautiful animal! Seems a little 'cleaner' than mine. More contrast in pattern and color. Nice!

Thanks, this one might be a T-Negative but only breeding trials will tell.
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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