Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is the Eastern king snake the largest US king snake? How large do the CB grow to and which sex is the largest male or female? Thanks.
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Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!

all i know is that female snakes are almost always larger than the males
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i have one Brooks Kingsnake, hopefully breeding in the next couple of years! yaaahhhh, only if i can find a male though lol, but im still looking for a male lol

Sex to size ratios varie in snakes by spieces. Females are bigger in some males in others as well as in populations of wild animals. It seems that alot of live bearing snakes have larger females and egg bearers its the males. But since we are talking live animals not always, and not even close. In eastern kings I would say males are bigger. If you are going to breed them then the first season will slow growth in the female as she developes eggs.
Later Jason

Yes they are the largest sub species but I think Florida Kings can get as big also. Ive found males to be larger on average than females.

Keith

>>Is the Eastern king snake the largest US king snake? How large do the CB grow to and which sex is the largest male or female? Thanks.
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>>Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!
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Apalachicola Kings get just as big as the Easterns. The WC male I have I bought from Len Krysko is around 63 inches and he eats everything in site. Seems like the more southernly getula get the biggest.

I said Floridana didnt I ? lol Im kidding

Keith
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>>Yes they are the largest sub species but I think Florida Kings can get as big also. Ive found males to be larger on average than females.
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>>Keith
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How big can a male adult eastern king get? 5 or 6 feet long?
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Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!

The record thats on the books is 82" but thats a wild specimen and Im sure thats been beat in captivity. On average Easterns get to be about 4.5-5' long with 6' not terribly uncommon.

Keith
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>>The record thats on the books is 82" but thats a wild specimen and Im sure thats been beat in captivity. On average Easterns get to be about 4.5-5' long with 6' not terribly uncommon.
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>>Keith
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As pets how are the eastern kings` temperments. Are they as docile as black rats, less or more docile? And thanks to EVERYONE who answered.
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Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!

Does anyone have any info on that snake? I would suppose it was based off of a wild specimen since that is generally the case when documenting maximum lengths for given species. I have never seen it mentioned where the snake originated from or the year. Sure would like to have been the cat that flipped that big brute from under a Modal T hood back in the day though lol!

My experience with kings in the field is males are decidedly larger. Male kings in my area (nigra) are commonly 4' and on occasion snakes up to around 5' being found. Females are usually much smaller and more in the 3' range with a really big one at around 3.5'. Phil

Pic of my wife holding "Big John" last year when he was 6 foot 4". Unfortunately I think this is Big John's last year. His health is deteriorating and he doesn't eat much any more. He wouldn't even breed for me this year (no interest), even though he's been otherwise healthy.
I still have one eastern that is 5 foot. I also have a male brooksi that is 5.5' and a female brooksi that is HUGE, just under 5' and thick (large for a female).
But personal experience tells me that males ALWAYS average larger than females ususally about a foot larger in most cases.

Zee

n/p

Dand, that is a monster! Is that one of those Georgians? Neat looking snake. Phil

As a matter of fact he IS one of those GA. giants! Wasn't sure of the origins , but with help from Keith (Hillson), traced it back to possibly one of the first Kevin Enge products. I got it from triple L, who told me that they got it from Mark Bell, and from there it was most likely obtained from Kevin Enge (note the wide bands and brownish background color). Estimated age is around 14 years.

Zee

That is such an awesome snake. How old is he? Sorry to hear he isn't doing so well. Derek

BIG BAD JOHN!!!! YEAH!
Todd Hughes

I was a commercial collector for Florida kings in the '70s and part of the '80s. Of the hundreds upon hundreds of Florida kings that I caught during that time I found two males over six feet.
One of them was measured at 6'2" and had a very stumped tail. The other was 6'4" and it too had a stump tail although just the tip was gone.
Males are always larger in this race. In fact, I don't think I ever found a female much over four and a half feet.

I got him from Glades Herp back in 1999 I believe. He was scarred up and I think Rob said he was a longterm captive. At the time of his death he was 6'4" with the tip of his tail gone as well. He had a head like a Buick and just destroyed about any size rat you gave him.

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Notice how those big old males would always be really golden?

Who is that goofball holding him?

Oh, sorry....is that you?

HA HA HA Not me but a different goofball for sure lol. Yeah he was really faded and a nice yellow color to him. Didnt know exactly where he was found otherwise he coulda passed for a Brooksi.

Keith
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That is part of the reason why so many Florida kings were called 'brooksi'.
You would often see big, golden yellow males that came from farms that had a lot of limestone along the canals, like around Twenty Mile Bend in Palm Beach County. Some of these males would be stunningly bright yellow. But even when they were really large, their pattern was very bold and distinct.
A nice 'brooksi' from down south of Florida City might not be as bright yellow, but would sure have a more speckled or patternless look to it. They would be superficially similar but once you saw them together, quite different.

Hey Mayday,
Do you remember any big "brooks" from around Fl. City. I have seen quite a few and none were the kind of hosses that you get up at the lake.
Jim

But then, to be honest I only found a couple of dozen. I didn't hunt for them for very long and after I had one morning when I found three in 20 minutes, I never went back.
The largest one I caught was maybe 4 feet.
But, I have heard that long term captives can become huge.

This is a 68" male Hypo Brooksi. It is nearly 5 years of age now.
Eats like a pig.....
John Lassiter

I remember THAT one! He's nice!(Much nicer in real life than the pic). Very nice John

Zee

Thanks Zee.
Not as big as BIG JOHN, maybe in a couple years....LOL!
I can't wait to see if his future offspring will grow as big and fast as him.
BTW,
Nice looking Eastern you found....Clean as can be.
John Lassiter

Future mate for him in 2006....Don Shores' het for hypo female.

That is a cool head pattern on that pretty girl! Looks like one of the ancient Egyptian's paintings! Very nice. That'll get you some very nice babies!

Zee