Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If you wanted to buy a Speckled Kingsnake, then would you buy the babies that tim8ball has or would you hold out for babies that looked speckled? I want a Speckled that has no banding when it grows.

Last November I purchased a hatchling Speckled Kingsnake at a reptile show. She was as tiny as an earthworm. I paid all of $10 for her. She had bars along with her speckles. Now a year later the baring is disappearing....still visible....but breaking up more and more. She is a lovely little girl. One day she will be all speckles and no baring. But it takes a while for the transition.

I have had many. Personally I like the ones that have No crossbands (like you) and are pretty much evenly speckled. Since I have bred these guys in the past, I can tell you if you want a good one for that "speckled racer" look, then choose one that has very weak cross bands and more speckling on it's sides. ALL babies that I've had, displayed some type of crossbanding. But the ones from the more evenly speckled variety had very weak crossbanding and already a pretty good "peppery" look to them, that usually intensified in just about a years time. . . At least this is what I experienced from the Louisiana specimens that I've had. The coastal (Louisiana) speckled kings displayed weak crossbanding in adults and strong crossbanding as babies (I've found hundreds in the wild when I lived there). As you move inland (at least about 80 miles or so, you would start finding the evenly (better looking) speckled kings to be more common in those areas all the way to the northern part of the state.

Zee

I am so stoked when I see threads on speckleds they are so under rated if you ask me.. They are by far my favorite snake I keep and breed normals,albinos,and lavenders. and hets for both.. I too love the patternless speckleds. I produce many and if you would like to know where to get one contact me @ serpentboy78@aol.com.. most do start out with the chain looking pattern and do lose it with age if indeed they r gonna be the patternless type... Here is a pic of my huge 4 1/2 ft and 4 inch thick male breeder speck. I wish they were more popular in the hobby, but regardless to me they alwaze will be and I will never stop working and loveing them.. I know of ppl working to produce whitesided speckleds yes I said "WHITESIDED" they have them now and should hit the market in a couple of yrs.. I have pix of some if ne1 is intrested in seeing them... I cant wait to breed again this spring,I will be producing many fine speckleds... For all you speckled lovers lets shine on them more make them popular again. LOL... Pe@ce... Mike

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Your male is as handsome as can be. Such beautiful animals. Hard to beat in my opinion also. And one more thing to mention is the wonderful docile attitude and personality of most of these snakes. Even the wild caught ones around me here in Louisiana are calm and handleable. Gotta love them.

That is a nice looking speckled Mike. I've alwlays been a fan of all the getula kings, and a nice high speckled king is very impressive. For them to start out as such small hatchlings, they can sure grow to be very robust snakes. You hear or read some information or articles put out there that say they tend to be a bit more nervous or defensive, but I imagine that bad rap came from wild caught animals in the past.
Mike, since you deal with them on a regular basis, do they tend to start out with a little more spunk them some of the other getula you have? Thanks for the pic. That is one beautiful speckled king.

Steve

Yes, They tend to start more nippy than others.. but in my experinece.. It's all in how much you handle them I handle all my babies atlest 3 times a week I still have a few 04 albinos that wont calm down,but I'll get'em.. Im glad you like the photo,Thanx Mike.
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