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Do kingsnake temperments vary depending on the type? I'm particurally interested in Mexican Black Kingsnakes. How is their temperment in general compared to other kingsnakes...and how does it compare to cornsnakes?

I know that each snake is an individual, so yes, I'm just curious about an overall generalization. The Mexican Blacks and just stunning little creatures, but I can't seem to find alot of specific information on them. Thanks!!

I've only had two MBKs in my collection, and still have one, i found them easy to handle but sometimes they have a pyscho feeding response. I prefer them over cali, if you don't already have kingsnake experience i recommend you starting out with a nice well started corn.

showing how mellow they are most the time

Thanks. I allready have a corn. She's as gentle as can be and I love her to death...but would love to get a second snake. I'm leaning towards a Leucistic Texas Rat Snake (and I know all about thier temperments, but am more than willing to put in a little extra work) but was recently struck by how beautiful (in my opinion) the Mexican Black Kings are...so figured I'd start researching them as well.

Your mention of a little extra work scares me. Please for the sake of any snakes you decide to get remember that most adults and calm and most babies and nuts. Your handling them does nothing but stress them out. If they are bitters then they are bitters. As they grow they will either grow out of it or they won't.

I firmly believe that the setup you have and how you handle and pick up the snake has far more to do with it being calm than how much you handle it. Some may disagree and I had the same ideas when I first got into snakes but as I got more snakes and had less time I notices that the crazy snakes I had turned out fine after about 6 months to a year. Sometimes even less. Thing is I never held the snakes except for cleaning but they still turned out fine.

At this point I have cut back in numbers and now I have more time to handle my snakes but I think back to all the unneeded stress I cause my snakes when I started out. It is just a thing about this hobby that bothers me. The idea that you can out will your snake. Or that you can take more bites than it has in it is kind of silly when you take a step back.

Please don't take this as a attack on you. It is not. It is a attack on that line of thinking. Hopefully you are not a guy as girls take things far less personally.

Anyway just my .02

later Jason

"Hopefully you are not a guy as girls take things far less personally."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Yes, I am a girl, and no, I did not take any of that personally.

What got me thinking that way was this-

I was looking into Leucistic Texas Ratsnakes. Texas Rats have a reputation for being somewhat aggressive at times. Everyone I spoke to that bred them, or that had them as pets said the ones that they handled as hatchlings got used to being handled and grew to be extremely docile adults, and that the ones they didn't handle were usually quite snippy.

So, now I don't know what to think! Yeay!

Perhaps I will keep doing some research on the matter...or just get some more corns. Hahaha. Sigh.

I will admit that I am in the minority in my thinking but it is the way I feel. The bigger they get the calmer they get for MOST snakes. There will always be defensive snakes.

The thing is a lot of people will say their snakes are aggressive but in fact they are not. They are defensive. The idea of holding them to show you won't harm them while they squirm in your hand and bite you (stress) seems a little out dated to me. A defensive snake that is given a good setup and allowed to hide when he/she feels threatened until he/she doesn't feel threatened will have less stress.

Less stress=calmer
calmer= less defensive
time food=growth
larger= more confident
more confident= less defensive

Just a few things to think about in my way of thinking but in the end a MBK should be a good choice

Good Luck
Jason

I totally agree with most of what I have read in this thread. Yeah, all babies are crazy nutz.
I think the best thing you can do for any king/milk is to get it trained on frozen thawed ( in a seperate container than its cage) as soon as possible. This justlimits the risk of feeding response ...

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1 Eastern Blue Tongue Skink
2 Tarahumar Mountain Kingsnakes - Knoblochi
2 Golden Greek Tortoises
1 Pyxie Frog - 14 years old

Jeez John what subs don't you have??????

You seem to have just about all the kings.

Later jason

I don't have any OBX or those killer orange belly speckleds and there's lot's of "brooksi" morphs i don't have.
But i'm pretty sure i have at least one of every currently recognized L.g. sub.

sick boy

It's a great sickness, sometimes it's fun to be ill.

I HIGHLY recommend Mexican Blacks. My first snake was a Mexican Black, and he is so great I have a couple more snakes now, too. We raised Vincent from a hatchling, and never had any problems with him. He's so gentle my daughter handled him from the time she was 7 years old (folks loved seeing my petite daughter at 10 years old with a big shiny black snake coiled all around her waist at educational shows). He's still the one I choose when having newbies handle one of my snakes, because he's so trustworthy. He's gone to many schools and educational shows over the years, and my only concern has been that he's not hurt, not the children (had one kid squeeze him before I saw what was happening; Vincent tightened on my arm - I always have his head and upper body on me, reptile society rules - and I removed the child's hand from Vincent with a gentle reminder that snake's feel pinches, too; but Vincent never even tried to strike).
If you've already raised a corn, you're certainly able to raise a Mexican Black, and have a wonderful time with it.
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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa, Bruce
1.0.0 Mexican Kingsnake, Vincent
1.0.0 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris
1.1.0 Ball Pythons, Pete & Frank
2.3.0 Bearded Dragons, Bela, Sally, Caijun, Phoenix & Spook
0.1.0 Fattailed Gecko, Sahein
2.0.0 Rats, Captian Howdy & Despero
1.0.0 Pushy Lovebird Baxter

I agree completely. MBKs are the best "starter" when it some to common kingsnakes. One thing I've noticed - handle your king BEFORE handling you corn snake. Kingsnakes are well known for smelling another snake on your hands and then chewing on a finger.

Third Eye

Ah! Hahahaha. Yes, that would make sense. Kings do eat snakes, don't they. Funny, It's something I wouldn't have even remembered until I had a king attatched to my finger. LOL. Thanks!

You're probably right about that - it really makes sense.
But I have to say I don't follow it, as I got my gray-banded soon after Vincent, and started handling them both at shows. Then I followed with a thayeri and an Eastern...you know how it goes with kings... When one has been out being adored by the public awhile and I figure he needs some alone-time I put him in his carry-tank under the table, and take out the other one. I've never thought about washing my hands in between, because a snake doesn't come with me to shows till I'm sure he's healthy (and I guess I've never been bright enough for this to occur to me - LOL!).
Maybe they've never had a problem with it because I've raised them all from babies and they're used to me smelling of the other kings? I'll have to try to remember to wash between them now....guess I'll know why if one nails me in the future if I forget...
But anyway, follow the good advice - don't be stupid like me!
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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa, Bruce
1.0.0 Mexican Kingsnake, Vincent
1.0.0 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris
1.1.0 Ball Pythons, Pete & Frank
2.3.0 Bearded Dragons, Bela, Sally, Caijun, Phoenix & Spook
0.1.0 Fattailed Gecko, Sahein
2.0.0 Rats, Captian Howdy & Despero
1.0.0 Pushy Lovebird Baxter

Mexican black kings are an excellent choice. Most are very calm, docile snakes. When it comes to having a Mexican black as your first king, you can't go wrong. But make no mistake, they do have an insane feeding respones. Here's a pic of my adult male.

Steve

"Do kingsnake temperments vary depending on the type? I'm particurally interested in Mexican Black Kingsnakes. How is their temperment in general compared to other kingsnakes...and how does it compare to cornsnakes?

I know that each snake is an individual, so yes, I'm just curious about an overall generalization. The Mexican Blacks and just stunning little creatures, but I can't seem to find alot of specific information on them. Thanks!!"

.

She's so cute and pretty! And your snake is nice, too - LOVE how the light shines his eyes blue to match your daughter's shirt!
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1.0.0 Dumeril's Boa, Bruce
1.0.0 Mexican Kingsnake, Vincent
1.0.0 Graybanded Kingsnake, Boris
1.1.0 Ball Pythons, Pete & Frank
2.3.0 Bearded Dragons, Bela, Sally, Caijun, Phoenix & Spook
0.1.0 Fattailed Gecko, Sahein
2.0.0 Rats, Captian Howdy & Despero
1.0.0 Pushy Lovebird Baxter

Here's leuci tex

Eeep! Soooo lovely. How is yours temperment-wise?

When she was a baby she was totally psycho, she got a lot better as she grew older but could never be trusted not to bite.

that's a killer snake, i thought those had "bug-eyes" but you female clearly doesnot...i'll have to put that on my "collector's item list"

thanx for the pic.

~ZF
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Bklyn's Finest Brooksi & Goini Fanatic