Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I'm looking to get a mountain king, and have a few requirements for it.
1. It can't top 40" or my parents will freak.
2. I'd like a species with vivid red, black and white bands, such as Baja Mountain King or the wild coloration of pyromelana pyromelana. It sort of dismays me that so many breeders are trying to breed those beautiful black bands out of their stock, but that's just my pet peeve I can get around.
3rd, and the really important thing, (if possible) I'd like a type that doesn't go off feed and hence need a cooling/dormancy period in the wintertime. I now have access to some secure out-buildings that are a cool consistent (but not freezing) temperature but I doubt that I will always have that.
I'm not planning to breed. I just want a pet that will be content and healthy in my room year round.
I'm leaning towards pyromelana pyromelana, but don't know their dormancy requirements, if any.
Can anyone recommend a subspecies, locality or have any advice? Also if you know a good breeder of these critters.
Anyway, thank you very, very much.
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0.2 chickens
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave)
0.1 Halflinger horse
0.0 Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (coming soon)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

Tarahumara Mt. Kings would be what you are looking for. Tad Fitzgerald has a real nice pair with great contrast and a high percentage of black with nice latteral speckling. Check them out at captivebred.com

Wayne Sanders

I would have to agree that the Chiahuahua mtn kings are the best. They hatch out small but they EAT pinks from the get go.

A knoblochi (Tarahumara, Chihuahua Mt. kings) are a great choice. They are actually a sub-tropical pyro. Their habitat is a very interesting mix of pine/oak forest and tropical deciduous forest. The Sierra Tarahumara is riddled with underground hot springs and the locals say these snakes spend the winter near these springs (although in the wild I do not believe they feed during this time). They do well without hibernation and some have successfully bred them without hibernation. ONe downside with knobs is that although wild snakes are never any larger than their northern pyro cousins (and usually MUCH skinnier) captive snakes on a regular schedule can often get up to four feet(48inches) or more, especially if fed thoughout the winter.

Personally I think all montane kings should be hibernated, it's what nature designed them to do. I hibernate all montane kings for four months, hatchling (whether feeding or not) and adult alike. It helps keep them lean and healthy. Pyros have the capability of living well over thirty years when not overfed and hibernated. Snakes kept up through the winters and fed during this time usually live only ten or fifteen years.They die of heart attacks, aneurisms and fatty liver disease. and a host of othre medical problems linked to obesity.

I frequently see examples of this as during the summer when in the feild I pick up all teh road kill rattlesnakes I find in order to keep the skins for comparison in pattern variatios and scale counts from different localities. Friends also give me their captive bred, of long term captive rattlesnakes that die. The differences I see in the comparisons of heart, liver and vascular system between wild snakes and captive raised snakes is amazing. Well, sorry if I got off on a tangent here, but something to consider. Other than the possibility of a larger size than you want you can't go wrong with a knob.

Actually I would like to here more factual data on powerfed colubrids in general. In this hobby we tend to feed our snakes to breed every year and sometimes even triple clutch. I wonder if any studies have been done to determine if such practice DOES lower the life expectancy or if the multiple breeding keep the bodyfat low anyway?

I think what I will do is search for a cb pyromelana pyromelana. They're the ones I personally like the most and from what I understand, their range overlaps with the Chihuahua mountain king a bit.
Feeding is something I'll watch out for, thanks for pointing that out. I think if I keep a log, (I already have a scale) and maintain the little guy or girl in a relatively (well furnished) large cage, I'll probably be able to end up with a comfortable but trim snake.
Thank you everyone, for your help. If you have any thoughts about strengths/pitfalls of my current plan, I'd be grateful to hear it.
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0.2 chickens
0.2 dog mutts (half ownership, only mine when they misbehave)
0.1 Halflinger horse
0.0 Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (coming soon)
1.1 parents
Still searching for 1.0 WC human

I think if you are looking a pet only if you get one that feeds from a breeder then get what you want. I like Zonata's the best. Captive bred specimens dont have to have a dormancy period but males will sometimes go off feed during the breeding season regardless if you hibernate them. Maybe look into a female to avoid this.

Keith
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I have a pair of Coast Mtn. Kingsnakes, L. z. multifasciata, which are three yrs. old and CB. They seem to eat better in the winter than in the summer and I've wondered if it was because the room is much less humid in the winter months, or maybe because it's not as warm (MI). I don't think they'll get much over 36 inches. Very interesting and gorgeous snakes and can be kept in ten gallon tanks.

TC