Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wanting to know if there was much difference between mexican black kingsnakes and american black kingsnakes in being docile as a pet. I am loking to add one to my collection. I have a few different kingsnakes already. Thanks.

I've never owned a Black King (L.g.Nigra) but have owned several Mexican blacks (L.g.Nigrita), as well as the 04 hatchling I have now. I think they reach about simular size, about the same for behavior on average. Tomas Davis has experience with Nigra and would be a good person to ask. Someone else has some good pictures in the photo gallery of them handling lots of wild caught Black Kings in Kentucky, "might be Phil Peake",
which looks to me like a pretty good indicator that Nigra on average are even tempered snakes, as are most kings. You can't go wrong with either, though Mexican Blacks are much more common on the market.

Steve

"I was wanting to know if there was much difference between mexican black kingsnakes and american black kingsnakes in being docile as a pet. I am loking to add one to my collection. I have a few different kingsnakes already. Thanks."

As far as the behavior of the two species goes, I can't imagine much difference. However, I have never worked personally with the MBK(I hope to soon!!!). The Black king, except for choice specimens, just doesen't seem to be quite the looker that the MBK is. Also, if you're considering a breeding project I would definately recommend the Mexican Black King because I have had very much difficulty getting juvinile Black Kings to feed on pink mice. I wish you the best luck in your decision!

Chris

So there are two kinds of black kings? How do you tell the difference? I saw some snakes sold as "black kings" at the NARBC show and I just assumed they were mex. They looked like mex blacks. Pricing was all over for the blacks, so I wonder if some where black and some where mex black.

The Black Kingsnake(Lampropeltis g. nigra) has an almost yellow - cream colored underside that sometimes may even make up a full pattern on the snakes body, especially in juveniles. The MBK(Lampropeltis g nigrita)may have a faint pattern resembling that of the Desert Kingsnake(L.g.splendita), but is most typically uniformly black. In my mind this makes for a much more attractive animal but you'll have to make up your own mind. Goodluck!

Chris

I have kept a few of each.

I found that nigrita are generally more docile as adults, get larger on average, and are easier to feed as babies.

Nigra are interesting snakes, but most people don't like them as much as they aren't solid black (they have checkerboard black and yellow bellies). I have noticed that nigra tend to be blacker than many nigrita, which in good light tend to show a dark brownish coloration.

The few nigra adults I have dealt with were slightly more nervous than nigrita, but the nigra were WC and the nigrita were CB. I would say that nigra are less high strung than holbrooki but slightly more high strung than splendida. I never had one bite me, but they would rattle their tails when I opened their cages.

Nigrita are a dime a dozen. Captive born nigra are hard to find.
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Chris Harrison