Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Gravid Fla x Eastern Hybino

Gravid Speckled King

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Shane@SSuperiorSSerpents.com
http://www.ssuperiorsserpents.com/

Gravid Thayeri

GBK

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Shane@SSuperiorSSerpents.com
http://www.ssuperiorsserpents.com/

I love that Speck. Holbrooki are one of my face king ssp. What's the history on yours? I had a female from Lloyd Lemke's old line which I understand is from somewhere in Louisiana. The Specks from down in Houston and SW Louisiana are absolutely gorgeous!

reako45

This female belongs to a friend, generic as far as I am concerned. I picked up an unrelated pair this year (1.1) from St. Bernard Parish LA. I used that male with his female. Next year it will be locale sp Speckleds. I will not breed the generic again.
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Shane@SSuperiorSSerpents.com
http://www.ssuperiorsserpents.com/

Hey, Shane, could you post a pic of that locale pair. Lots of the ones I've seen fro SW La. & SE Tx have got that almost fluorescent yellow that really pops! Of course to me all Specks are beautiful.

reako45

I will try and get a good photo. These are not as yellow as the desired look some people are after. But I will get there with them for sure.
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Shane@SSuperiorSSerpents.com
http://www.ssuperiorsserpents.com/

Axanthic het WS bred to WS Axanthic

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Shane@SSuperiorSSerpents.com
http://www.ssuperiorsserpents.com/

Do your females stop eating when they are gravid? If so, is there a pattern of a time when they do? Thanks

This is not an answer from Shane, I hope he still responds.

In my experience The answer to your question is situational. That is, some do, some don't depending on conditions. Some are natural, some are not.

When a reptile is full of eggs, feeding large prey items can be refused simply because the snake senses there is no room. If that happens, try offering smaller prey items. They will often feed right up to the pre egg laying shed.
Some are carrying so much, they do stop feeding. Normally its not hard on the female to stop feeding, but it does hinder a second or third clutch.

Thanks FR! My female's not at that point yet. I'm not sure if she's gravid yet. I palpated a couple of times and didnt feel anything. Sher girth has gone down some too. I have the male in with her now and have been other than when in the blue cycle. I can never catch them hooking up. They lay on top of each other all the time but ive never seen them actually breeding.

Very good answer!
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Shane@SSuperiorSSerpents.com
http://www.ssuperiorsserpents.com/

Some of mine do, most of them, but I have had a few that eat after their pre lay shed. Not really a pattern that I can tell. I have had the same snake eat one year, and not the next, after the pre lay shed.
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Shane@SSuperiorSSerpents.com
http://www.ssuperiorsserpents.com/

Hi Shane, my kings normally laid from 1 to 4 days after the shed, so not much time to feed. And great snakes you have there, your going to have a ton of little mouths to feed. Best wishes

Hi Shane, my kings normally laid from 1 to 4 days after the shed, so not much time to feed. And great snakes you have there, your going to have a ton of little mouths to feed. Best wishes

That is because people think it is normal for a kingsnakes to lay 10 days after shed.. and also because they do not know the kings need to "nest". And you have described a few ways to set up nesting areas properly.

This is something that needs to be explained over and over because the mainstream does not even know what the nesting process exists in kingsnakes.

Hi Rainer, Recently, two days ago, I had a talk with a friend that publishes herp books. We discussed a book on hog nose. Nice book except it showed nesting where the snake scatters eggs all over the box, and stated that's how its done.
Before that, I brought up this subject on the hognose forum and with the same results as here. But, at least two make minor attempts at nesting and both received beneficial results. One stated, It was unbelievable my hognose dug a hole, laid eggs in the hole then covered it up. He had never seen that before, and he was a big time hognose breeder.
Many argued that it "would not" work in their rack systems. So I showed them how it would.
Sadly, it see snakes abort and people calling that good, makes my stomach hurt.

Nice book except it showed nesting where the snake scatters eggs all over the box, and stated that's how its done.

As we both know that is the worst case when a female dumps her eggs all over the cage and not in a clump. second is if they hold onto the eggs for 10 days or more. Even if they are dumped in a clump 10 days later it is not optimal since they are not nesting under these circumstances.

I think it is worth repeating so that unsuspecting and newer people will know. Most reading this might not even understand what we are talking about.

and then there are some with the mindset that if they lay and it works, then who are we to say our "method" is better. So they are saying it is just another method.. How some folks use this logic is beyond my comprehension.

I hope that in time.. and through repeated posts that herpetoculture will pass through and beyond the 1970's knowledge.

And that is really what they are doing.. Not learning and progressing. As if a snake in a box has zero intelligence and the keeper does all the breeding and work.. when in reality these kings know what to do if given choices. Kinda make me wonder if the internet generation is smarter than past generations or not? As old information is still being passed around as gospel. worst case is that these so called "experts" (aka professional breeders) are the ones who are passing this info along to newbies.