Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just curious, will my new nagritas enjoy something to climb on? Or are they more of the burrowing type? Anything I can add to the setup that may give him more exercise? Thanks!
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

First of all, you're spelling of "nigritas" is as good as your spelling of fiber and optics! Second, a branch or something wouldn't hurt, and your snake will use it occasionally, but common kings like a mexican black are mostly ground dwellers. My kings, all types, love to burrow and build tunnels in aspen shavings.

Greg

Phiber Optikx is spelled this way on purpose. But thanks for the correction on nigritas. I am a new owner so not completely sure on the latin name. Thanks again.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

the name is nigrita. You don't pluralize it. It is the subspecific epithet for Lampropeltis getula nigrita. So you have one nigrita or several nigrita.

If you really want to be picky, it should be italicized or underlined and it shouldn't be capitalized - nigrita

Or you could just go with Mexican Black Kingsnake, it's official common name?
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

LOL just playing but serriously when in doubt of the latin name just use the common name. The newbies on this board would like help with there MBK's as well, don't try to confuse them lol. Don't worry about it phiber you'll be oK . Also you could have googled "mexican black king" and gotten the latin name and a load of interesting information. Everyone gets schooled sometime or another...

I did google it... That is where I found a very basic care sheet and the spelling "nagritas" But thanks for correcting me everyone. I actually held him for a minute today. He is a fiesty little guy. Nippy as a texas rat and pooped/musked on me about 4 times.....
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

Hey Chris, when I bought mine years back the seller called them nigritis. Many people I knew used to call them that. Did the name change or were those people most likely wrong to pronounce and spell it like they did? Thanks Tom Stevens

L. getulus nigritis is the the feminine form, that used to be the correct name but someone discovered that getulus should not be used in the feminine form so it was changed to getula. When that happened all the subspicies names that had both masculine and feminine forms had to be changed as well so nigritis became nigrita. I think names like niger are neutral so they stayed the same.

.

Posted by: Aaron at Sun Nov 20 10:21:50 2005 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]

L. getulus nigritis is the the feminine form, that used to be the correct name but someone discovered that getulus should not be used in the feminine form so it was changed to getula. When that happened all the subspicies names that had both masculine and feminine forms had to be changed as well so nigritis became nigrita. I think names like niger are neutral so they stayed the same.

Thanks Aaron,

I knew it was different at one time. Thanks for clearing that up.

I think the black king, L. getulus niger, became L. getula nigra

TC

>>L. getulus nigritis is the the feminine form, that used to be the correct name but someone discovered that getulus should not be used in the feminine form so it was changed to getula. When that happened all the subspicies names that had both masculine and feminine forms had to be changed as well so nigritis became nigrita. I think names like niger are neutral so they stayed the same.

Yes you're right about nigra, I forgot that one. I was going by memory. Cascabel said what I was trying to say, thanks.

both getulus and nigritus are masculine. But Lampropeltis is feminine. A few years back many latin names were reviewed and specific and subspecific names were corrected to match the gender of the generic name. Therefore "getulus" became "getula", "nigritus" is now "nigrita", and "niger" is now "nigra". You will also notice this with many other North American species. Pituophis melanoleucus is now P. melanoleuca, Gyalopion quadrangularis became G. quadrangulare etc.

I don't claim to be an expert on snake nomenclature, but I did "study" the Latin language for four years. Any singular noun ending in "-a" would be feminine, plural would be "-ae". Any singular noun ending in "-us" would be masculine, plural would be "-i" There is also a neuter, which can be confusing because the plural forms of neuter nouns end with "-a", the singular would be "-um". Neuter would not be used to describe animals, thankfully.

Ancient Romans (almost) without exception used feminine versions of nouns to describe plants/animals.

Whatever, just thought I might be able to contribute something.

Matt

Well put you guys. Now, if we could just pronounce them as easily. I had a couple years of Latin also, but my attempts to pronounce the names, in general, never seemed to match what was accepted in the hobby, haha. I sinced have just gone with the most widely accepted. Luckily we don't have to pronounce them on these forums

TC

Niger changed to Nigra. I believe Getulus was masculine and when it changed to Getula all the sub names switched to feminine names where they needed to be.

Keith
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Unless you have more than one. If you're gonna go scientific, wight as well do it right. MBK works for me! Not trying to give anyone a hard time, just rying to correct a mistake someone else wasa gonna correct eventually anyway.

I think they're more of the burrowing type. I use plastic, paper, and shredded aspen for substrate. I think these things allow sufficient burrowing and climbing activities for a snake that doesn't climb or move around very much...

TC

Notice plastic jugs, which can be filled with paper or water, and the moist hide in front, which can be used for brooding adults....