Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Thanks for the replies from 1/16. Our experience is mostly similar. However, interesting contradictions exist, since we're dealing with individuals.

My 2003 male has NEVER bitten, musked nor hissed. Has always handled very well.

He usually eats well, but after November he began ignoring food at times. He has not eaten in 3-4 weeks now, is much less hungry than he was during spring & summer.

Usually, he sheds all in one piece, but the last shed was a problem. Days after his eyes clouded and then cleared, no shed. I kept looking, but I only see some signs of post-shed dry scales on his upper area. No skin was found; it looks like he mostly skipped the last shed. This is the first such time.

1. How often do you have incomplete or absent sheds?
2. Is the belly of yours silver-blue? Most literature states that Mexican Blacks have all black bellies, and that Baja Cape Kings (Nitidas) have blue bellies. Mine has a blue belly, is that true of yours, too?
3. Do Nitidas always have some type of light pattern, or can they ever mimic Nigritas??

I don't have a MBK - but I have had snakes take up to 5-6 days AFTER clearing up from being blue before they'll shed. How long has it been now since it cleared up?
-----
Matt from Minnesota
Cornsnake, Eastern Kingsnake, IL Bullsnake - all girls.
0.1 Crested Gecko "Camey"; 1.0 Crested Gecko "Spots" RIP

There was no shed. A few days after clearing he bacame active again, and I could see leftover scales. It looked like he had an incomplete shed, but I found no shed skin whatsoever.

It looks like something happened hormonally and the shed did not occur. (Maybe due to winter months?) The head and upper areas are the worst. They are no longer glossy, look quite dull with residue, flaky scales.

I have seen this before with my Cal King. Later sheds will likely be quite normal.

Mine is a peculiar situation, being that I have had three MBK's (currently own my third one). I'll try to keep this brief...

The first MBK I got was back a little over a year ago. She was practically a hatchling when I got her from a reptile expo in New Hampshire - and she was flawless: absolutely nothing but black everywhere (no spots, flecks, brown, or ANYTHING but black!). She fed without any problems, never attempted to strike, and never musked.

Her name was Lilli -

Unfortunately, she managed to escape from her cage one day - and I never found her. To this day I very much regret not taking greater security measures with her.

I eventually got another young female MBK - but this one I got from a distributor online. It was the first time I ever bought an animal online, and I knew I was taking a chance. I shouldn't have. It turned out that what I got was a very, very dark brown snake that had a faint california kingsnake pattern on it. It paled in comparison to Lilli, though it did have a good attitude and appetite.

Here's the second one I got (you can't tell from this photo just how 'brown' she was):

So, I gave her to someone who was ok with her 'non-blackness', then I set out to get what I wanted in the first place (a BLACK mexican black kingsnake). Once again I took a chance and ordered another young MBK from someone online (a different guy this time) - and again, I'm beginning to think now that I shouldn't have. The MBK I received is something of a problematic consideration for me. Here's why: 1) the girl has a nasty attitude (striking and musking every time I go to get her out of her cage), and 2) she's got spots! Yes, spots, not just the typical two white ones under the chin, but big white spots on her belly too. And on top of that, I can see in her a very faint pattern of what appears to be a splendida pattern. Granted, it's very very faint, but compared to Lilli this is quite a flaw.

Here's the one I have now (sorry I don't have a pic available to show her pattern or belly spots):

Now, I know that young snakes can be nippy, and that MBK's sometimes start out spotted and grow into solid black color, but Lilli had a great disposition and was all black from day one. Is it really asking so much to find a decent MBK? Or did I just get lucky when I got Lilli in the first place?

Sorry for the long post - that just been my experience so far,
- Mark
.

>>Thanks for the replies from 1/16. Our experience is mostly similar. However, interesting contradictions exist, since we're dealing with individuals.
>>
>>My 2003 male has NEVER bitten, musked nor hissed. Has always handled very well.
>>
>>He usually eats well, but after November he began ignoring food at times. He has not eaten in 3-4 weeks now, is much less hungry than he was during spring & summer.
>>
>>Usually, he sheds all in one piece, but the last shed was a problem. Days after his eyes clouded and then cleared, no shed. I kept looking, but I only see some signs of post-shed dry scales on his upper area. No skin was found; it looks like he mostly skipped the last shed. This is the first such time.
>>
>>1. How often do you have incomplete or absent sheds?
>>2. Is the belly of yours silver-blue? Most literature states that Mexican Blacks have all black bellies, and that Baja Cape Kings (Nitidas) have blue bellies. Mine has a blue belly, is that true of yours, too?
>>3. Do Nitidas always have some type of light pattern, or can they ever mimic Nigritas??

My first female got away, too. She was from wild-caught parents and had EXCEPTIONAL skills. I am much more careful now with my male replacement.

He is all black, except for a small, white chin spot. Not sure if it will fade later, most likely it will.

Both of my Mexican Blacks had silvery/blue bellies. I've never seen one with a black belly.

Antegy,

This has also been my experience. This past year I've gotten some MBKs from several reputable breeders and I don't think they were purposely misrepresenting their stock but despite assurances that they were "pure black" *ALL* were very dark brown when put near a light source, especially evident on the sides, many with white/yellow spots on the bellys and lower sides. Very noticeable after eating a good meal. Would they move to blackness as they matured? I can't tell you for sure. Life is too short to spend the resourses to feed and clean that many animals to not get the pure jet black perfection you are looking for. I too found homes for the not quite black animals. I kept one that I picked up at a local show that is VERY, VERY dark brown... almost black with a beautiful attitude. (most were extremely mellow animals,good feeders and potential great "pets"

I still think MBKS are one of the best kings out there though.

On the other hand, if you're looking for absolutely intense blue/black and glossy irredescense and a wonderful attitude AND your patient AND willing to take a chance on getting a pattern less animal as an adult I would strongly reccomend GAIGEAE to any one looking to quell the pure black "bug".

Sorry for the long post and hope I didn't offend any MBK fans. I really like them. BobS

>>>1. How often do you have incomplete or absent sheds?

I've always had one peice sheds from mine, although at times a scale or 2 won't shed right, and seems to stick to the shed itself.

>>>2. Is the belly of yours silver-blue? Most literature states >>>that Mexican Blacks have all black bellies, and that Baja >>>Cape Kings (Nitidas) have blue bellies. Mine has a blue >>>belly, is that true of yours, too?

I've had 2. My first was a male, which did have a very light colored belly, but was solid black otherwise.....

My second is a female, and her belly is much darker and seems to depend on the lighting to give it a "silvery" color, she does still have a bit of speckling on her belly, but no "nitida" look....

>>>>3. Do Nitidas always have some type of light pattern, or can >>>>they ever mimic Nigritas??

All the "Nitidas" I've seen (only a few) have noticable striping (some more than others). I've HEARD they can be solid black, but haven't personally seen it.
-----
Ace

How odd. Nobody else describes this belly color for their snakes.

Both of my MBK specimens had silver/blue bellies - not at all black. Is this uncommon??

The photos were especially helpful, as has been your advice on Nitidas.

My male has a very distinct belly that is a silvery-blue sheen, difficult to describe because I don't know anything else of that color. Maybe the bellies of females tend to be darker?

I'm hoping that his uppper body will shed better next time. He has more than one small area of one or more scales that don't seem to shed as easily. Odd, since I not only have a covered water cistern in his vivarium, I occassionaly mist.

>>>Maybe the bellies of females tend to be darker?

I don't know of any studies reporting sexual dimorphism in Nigritas. It would be intersting if this were proven true!

>I'm hoping that his uppper body will shed better next time. He >has more than one small area of one or more scales that don't >seem to shed as easily. Odd, since I not only have a covered >water cistern in his vivarium, I occassionaly mist.

Mine will have the same problem at times too. Her typical area is about 1-2" behind her head on her mid dorsal scales. I usually put a damp rag in her hide when I see her turn blue, and from time to time will still have a scale or 2 "stick" on an otherwise complete shed. Strange with them being a desert specie?
-----
Ace

I dont know if this is helpful or not. but several years ago a friend of mine whos a doctor was working with a desert species of gecko and doing very well breeding them. He told me that field researchers found the burrows of these arid dwelling animals were quite moist despite the dry conditions of their environment and he mimiced this by adding a few moist hides along with the dry ones to give the animal some choices.

Some times when My nigrita is shedding, after clearing from the blue I take out the box from the rack and turn it around where the waterbowl is over the heat tape for a few days and then return it to the cool side after the shed without any problems.

BobS.