Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I can't stop looking at her.
I've had many snakes in my care over the years, but none have captivated me more than this little girl. She is even better than I imagined she would be... an I had high expectations too...
I hope that you guys don't get sick of seeing/hearing about her, I know my co-workers and my girlfriend probably are already...
Then again, I guess THIS IS THE PLACE to show appreciation for these incredibly wonderful and misunderstood creatures.
I can't wait to show her off at my next herp society meeting!!!

Take care,
Justin

I personally look forward to reading updates on members Indigos. Thanks for posting such nice pics also. As for family and people around you, just because they do not understand your level of fascination for indigos should in no way demean the value of the snakes to you. After all, the general public is forever wondering why we would want to own ANY snake, let alone a 6 ft long allblack one!!lol
thanks for posting and keep up the good work. Great looking snake!

God Bless,

Fred Albury

there's a place for me to share my love for these animals.
Ever since I found and photographed one in the wild in February '03 I've been waiting to get one... I thought the wait would never end!!
Also, I look forward to learning all I can from the people in this forum, and I can't wait to experience first hand the joys of keeping an Indigo through adulthood.
Thanks again and take care,
Justin

I'm crossing over from the Kingsnake forum, obviously. Have recently studied Indigos, Cripos and Kraits. (Krait species in SE Asia look almost EXACTLY like a Cal King & are 17 times more venomous than a Cobra! Disaster waiting to happen one day when one gets mislabeled, and we know that it happens.)

What is the nature & dispostion of Indigos? I know almost nothing about them. Shy as a Milksnake? Confident & curious like my desert phase Cal King? Totally unique??

Any comments would be appreciated. (Yours IS a beauty!)

(Krait species in SE Asia look almost EXACTLY like a Cal King

There are perhaps a dozens species of Bungarus and none of them look like cal kings to me?? Even the banded ones are fairly yellow and black and their heads look little like a cal king to me. A bandy bandy (an elapid from Australia) does look like a calking, but they aren't dangerous to humans.

What is the nature & dispostion of Indigos? I know almost nothing about them. Shy as a Milksnake? Confident & curious like my desert phase Cal King? Totally unique??

If you think a Cal King is "confident and curious" you will be amazed by indigos. Most of the captive ones I have seen make calkings look like cage furniture.
-----
Chris Harrison
Does anyone else here think that these scrolling signature lines are stupid?

One of the top "hits" shows a photo of one that looks very much like a Cal King to me. If you can find it, you may see what I meant.

Only 2 traits differed:

No Cal King white dot at rear of head.
Backbone had a row of ridged scales.

(Krait species in SE Asia look almost EXACTLY like a Cal King

There are perhaps a dozens species of Bungarus and none of them look like cal kings to me?? Even the banded ones are fairly yellow and black and their heads look little like a cal king to me. A bandy bandy (an elapid from Australia) does look like a calking, but they aren't dangerous to humans.

What is the nature & dispostion of Indigos? I know almost nothing about them. Shy as a Milksnake? Confident & curious like my desert phase Cal King? Totally unique??

If you think a Cal King is "confident and curious" you will be amazed by indigos. Most of the captive ones I have seen make calkings look like cage furniture.
-----
Chris Harrison
Does anyone else here think that these scrolling signature lines are stupid?

Yeah my little girl is a beauty... can't wait 'til she's bigger!!
As for behavior, I have'nt been around adult indigos very much, & my hatchling is quite timid.
Once she is out an in your hands though, she is calm and easy going.
She seems to be fairly curious, and she tilts her head to one side when we make eye contact... kinda like my Labrador Retriever at food time!!
Maybe others in the forum can tell you more specifics on adult behavior...
Thanks for looking.
Take care,
Justin

(Moslty in jest mode. You didn't think that you'd get away lightly after making the statement about Cal Kings being "cage furniture", did you??)

Ooops, there's trouble in paradise. One owner says that they are very curious & active, this one says that his is timid. Am I getting conflicting information!?

Realizing, of course, that:

1. Each individual can be quite different.
2. Adult vs. juvenile behavior can be quite different.

Plus, some Cal Kings just are not very lively, and I suspect that many have been inbred way too much. The Desert Phase specimens from the Mojave don't seem to have that problem. Of the 4 species I've known, this guy is much more confident & curious.
He continues to surprise me at times.

My reply was to your initial response.

Most reptiles are timid as babies, everything wants to eat them. My eastern was like that. She's a year old now and getting very bold. She's been very curious from the get go and is the only snake I've ever had that makes real, consistent eye contact.

From everything I've heard, and from the few older indigo's I've seen, they only get bolder and more curious as they go. They're intelligent, top of the food chain predators and they'll act like it

Your girl is a real beauty by the way.

-Josh

Hmmmm...I was just typing how curious and bold they are and here I am being watched. Lenore, my eastern, just finished eating several quail and apparently she wants more as she's gone to the outer corner of her cage, closest to my computer desk, and is watching my every more.