Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Why is it that I never see any Mountain or Mexican Kings in the "brick and mortar" stores? It seems the only type ever sold is the Cal. King.
Even my modest little Repticon show this past weekend had none of either. Why is it that? Is it just my area or do the big stores shy away from these types of kings for some reason...or are these types just the best kept secret in beautiful little snakes

I initially found my pyros on the Internet in the Kingsnake.com classified. Then because the reptile store I bought them from was relatively close to me, I was able to find out who the breeder was and make his acquaintance, and have since traded pyros back and forth. Also in various other forums I have found other breeders in California, some only a short distance away. I have obtained pyros from them as well.

Now I am a seasoned breeder myself (although still not confident at sexing babies! LOL!) and need to sell some of my babies. I have three gravid females which will add even more babies to my pyro collection. I wish the local Petco would sell my babies but it is one of those rigid corporate affairs where one has to be an approved vendor. I will be moving some of my babies through the original reptile store I first got my pyros from in 2008. Also have a waiting list which I will notify when the new babies are ready.

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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Hey Pyro,

Great info on how you got your start and what you do on a yearly basis. I'll send you a e-mail.

More on a general basis, I was just was wondering why these most colorful kings aren't more popular...really it's kinda nice they're not, it keeps them pure and unique.

I'd say that in general it's the price the store has to pay for 'em....They can get wholesale kings for 10 bucks ea. but not many tricolors other than maybe pueblan milks are available in the numbers and price they like..
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Thanks CK that's good info. I guess it's a matter of sheer numbers driving the price down...makes sense. Don't get the wrong message from my question. I'm not looking to buy a snake of any kind from a chain pet shop any time soon. I'm just trying to learn a little. Thanks guys.

I think the reason the price is higher is due to the somewhat more challenging aspects of the husbandry. Getting the babies started eating can be time consuming with pyros. The climate for breeding requires a colder winter brumation than many folks can provide.

I personally have only bred pyros from the get go, and the only other reptiles being bull snake, gopher snakes and fence lizards. So am no expert on other types of kings.

Zunchara last spring.

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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Zunchara! Pyro, I must have told you I love your high black models.

Hey Pyro,
I thought I had your e-mail but I don't. Would you kindly drop me a line at huntidaho@msn.com so I can ask you a question? Thanks.

email sent.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Having been to and talking to the companies that produce those snakes. The only requirement is, the neonates must feed on pinks.

As you know, many of the stores in question are not capable of good husbandry, so that eliminates many of the tricolors.

I guess its not about rare or pretty or whatever, its about which ones die first. or most commonly at the stores. Best wishes

Totally, FR!
My babies feed on live pinks. Sometimes I have to remind a baby to eat by holding the little snake by the neck and poking the pink in his face until he bites it. Once he bites it he goes like oh yeah I'm hungry, and eats. But what pet store is going to bother with that. Also pyros are much more ruled by the seasons than other snakes, and will go off feed in late summer, much to the consternation of new owners who don't know they do this! Would a pet store be willing to take the "product" off the shelf for the whole winter to brumate it?

I would prefer only to sell my pyro babies to people experienced or willing to learn the proclivities of these snakes.

Dotz and Mazar's babies from 2012.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

its about which ones die first.

Spoken like a true Hermosa reptile employee.
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"the fact of the matter is if folks want "pure" types they should go snake hunting. or at least do some research on potential breeding stock and not just pick anything up anywhere show/petshop"

Thomas Davis

My first job was at a pet store that offered all kinds of snakes. Cal Kings, Desert Kings, generic red-tails, albino burms, norm/amel/snow corns, and balls all sold as fast as we could get them.

tricolor kings/milks, trans pecos rats, bairds rats, garters, amazon tree boas, kenyan sand boas, and florida kings just sat forever with practically zero interest in them.

I had a lot of conversations with the owners about why this was, but nobody could figure it out. most of the time the babies were priced roughly the same and the care was still easy... people just had zero interest in them. My guess is that many first time snake buyers are inclined to go with species they've heard of before rather than something they just became aware of.
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1.1 Argentine Boas
1.1 Dumerils Boas
1.1 Black Milk Snakes
2.3 California King Snakes
1.1 Nelsons Milk Snakes
2.2 Corn Snakes

I had very little enthusiasm for my baby bull snakes two years in a row. They are beautiful and super easy to care for, but people just don't seem to know about bulls or be interested.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

I meant other people had little enthusiasm, not me; I love these things!

Maybe people will like this patternless morph, my next big project in a couple years.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

for me, it's their attitude. growing up in the bay area, i used to catch them all the time. they're probably the second most commonly seen snake when i hike or flip. i'm just not a fan of their displays.

i also don't keep any snakes that continue defensive displays after their third year (although most seem to stop by the end of their second year).
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westmextricolors.wix.com/west1

i work with tri-colored west mexican lampropeltis. some morph, some hobby, and some locale.

everyone is entitled to their options, but no one's opinion will ever change how i feel about the snakes i keep and breed.

for me, it's their attitude. growing up in the bay area, i used to catch them all the time. they're probably the second most commonly seen snake when i hike or flip. i'm just not a fan of their displays.

Aww..who could not love this little face...LOL!
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

I remember when I was younger getting a baby bull snake on a trade, and not really knowing how mean they were lol. Anytime you would walk past the cage it would be coiled up striking, most annoying thing ever but I get it no one wants to locked in a cage... After months of this thing not calming down and me not being able to talk any of my buddies into taking it off my hands I put an adult eastern king in the cage with it and let her get rid of it.
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(New website, albinomilksnake.com coming June 2013)

Mine all calm down with age and gentle handling but I can agree there are some individuals that never "tame". I will try to make sure my babies only go to experienced pituophis keepers.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

The problem was, you were more than likely keeping it too hot, thus the huffing and puffing. Pits do not do well on higher temps.

Hey,..let's feed snakes we own to other snakes, if they don't " Calm Down! "

Thanks a lot for really caring for that animal. Sheesh....
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Genesis 1:1