Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My mother brought this snake home from the pet shop. She was told it was an albino ball python. It isn't!!! That much I do know. I called the pet shop and they claimed that they havn't sold an albino anything in 3 months. It looks kind of like a rat snake to me, but I'm no expert. Any help would be appreciated, and I appologize for the blurry picture. I am trying to get better ones.

A clear photo would be a big help. My first thought is an albino Cal. king.

~~Greg~~

My guess is also a Albino Cali King, but a Snow Corn could also be possible. Although I've never seen a petstore with even a Cali King...

Clearer picture would really help.
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Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta - Black Rat Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

>>My guess is also a Albino Cali King, but a Snow Corn could also be possible. Although I've never seen a petstore with even a Cali King...
>>
>>Clearer picture would really help.
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>>Current Collection:
>>0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
>>1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
>>0.1 Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta - Black Rat Snake
>>0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
>>1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
>>0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

We have Cali kings in our petstores, but I have never seen an albino in them. We have a local CAli King breeder here that sells her babies to the pet stores though.

I don't think it's a corn as its head is quite blunt in the picture. I would also guess albino kingsnake or maybe an albino milk snake.

I can just barely make out the pinkish bands of an albino Cal King. Pretty common pet store snake, here on the east coast any way.

I took these, they are a little blurry too, but I can't understand his pattern. The strips from the neck, about 1 ft are horizontal, then they turn into vertical bands, and the belly isn't white, it's colored yellow. It is very hateful, I want to say it's a male because of the length of the 'tail'. He bit me so many times I was bleeding taking the pictures so I finally had to put on a glove, which I hated to do. I don't know if the pictures show it well, but his head is small, and there isn't size difference at the base of the head.

Sounds like the behavior of a cali king alright...

Look at some of these pictures:

images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=albino+california+kingsnake&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-img-t&fl=0&x=wrt
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Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta - Black Rat Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

The pictures look like my snake, but his front half is horizontally striped, and the back half is banded. Is he some mix of king snake? Will he always be hateful?

Pattern abnormalities are common in california kings (especially half banded half stiped forms). I have to agree that it definitly sounds like one.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Your cali king may calm down, but it will take time and persistence to get it to do so.

Starting with gloves is a good idea, then take one off and handle him, then get him out and take off both gloves. Sooner or later he will realize you are not a threat and be "nicer".

Just be careful, cali kings pack a pretty nasty bite, and are voracious feeders.

Good luck
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Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta - Black Rat Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

IMO, gloves are a waste with most N. American colubrids. All they do is cause the potential for you to grab the snake too hard or have the snake rip its teeth out if it bites the glove. I wouldn't say that a kingsnake packs quite a bite. Their bite, along with ratsnakes', barely hurts and just bleeds a little.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"Some things will never change. They just stand there looking backwards. Half-unconsious from the pain. They may seem rearranged. In the backwater swirling. There is something that'll never change-The Meat Puppets"

>>IMO, gloves are a waste with most N. American colubrids. All they do is cause the potential for you to grab the snake too hard or have the snake rip its teeth out if it bites the glove. I wouldn't say that a kingsnake packs quite a bite. Their bite, along with ratsnakes', barely hurts and just bleeds a little.
>>-----
>>Andy Maddox
>>AIM: thekingofproduct
>>MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
>>Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
>> Houston Herp Key
>> The Reptizone
>>
>>"Some things will never change. They just stand there looking backwards. Half-unconsious from the pain. They may seem rearranged. In the backwater swirling. There is something that'll never change-The Meat Puppets"

HEhe, I agree. Whats a little blood anyhow? A King doesnt do too much damage. But then I guess its all in who you talk to. Some of us are used to dealing with huge Boas and Pythons, so a Cali king would be a welcoming bite. A love scratch. lol
Any snake with time and patience will calm down and stop biting you. I had my conda from viciously eating my hand to death, to completely tame within 2 weeks of daily handling. And lots and lots of blooood. lol

Albino cal king

That is an albino Cal King, no doubt.
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Chris Harrison

One thing you may want to consider is getting a fecal sample to your vet. Internal parasites may be the reason for the foul temper. Or not. If not, just move slowly & try to handle the snake regularly (except for a few days after a meal). That, or just accept the snake as a biter & live with it. Use a hook.

~~Greg~~

Could be hungry? Tough to tell without any history on him.
Best of luck.
Cameron

Thanks For all your help everybody, his bites aren't awful, but they are annoying. I am used to very docile snakes, and larger snakes, I have a Boa and a ball python. My boa is very calm and loves to be out and played with. I guess 'Al' as my mother has decided to call my new albino cali king will just be a new experience. I did feed him when he came home because he was racing around his cage and acting like he was hunting, but I fed him 4 mice. Was this step bad... how much does a snake like this eat? How easy are they to overfeed?? Oh dear, I better do some more research.