Spot, the Florida Kingsnake

[tikichick]

I met with a member of a local reptile forum last night and picked up this beautiful little Kingsnake. :)

I got him/her home, gave 'em a good soak and got a lovely poop in return, lol. :p

After the soaking, I put Spot in a little container with paper towels to dry and about an hour later, he shed! He looks great! Here's pics... (click for the full size)

http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/39409/2754204790010112803S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2754204790010112803xdUDdw)

http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/40302/2793546980010112803S425x425Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2793546980010112803zMLTXg)

It's a real sweetie, easy to handle, curious, and no defensive behavior at all. He had named it Spot and I like the name :)

[anji1971]

Nice!!! What a great addition; lucky you!!:)

[tikichick]

Thanks :) I was very lucky, he didn't want a dime!

[GarterGuy]

Very cool, nice goini phase getulus. Looks like her/him will have some nice colour once he/she gets bigger. I just love the getulus kings....especially all the L.g.getulus / L.g.floridana varieties and hybrids.

[tikichick]

Thanks! Can you tell me if Lampropeltis getula floridana is the correct id? Or would you need some belly shots? He's got the yellowish tones in the crossbands. I'm not familiar with all the King hybrids and phases. :rolleyes:

[Snaky]

Very nice kingsnake :)

[drache]

what a nice snake
good for you
I love those orange patches

[GarterGuy]

Thanks! Can you tell me if Lampropeltis getula floridana is the correct id? Or would you need some belly shots? He's got the yellowish tones in the crossbands. I'm not familiar with all the King hybrids and phases. :rolleyes:

Well it really depends who you talk to....the goini phase is considered to be an exteme integrade between L.g.getulus X L.g.floridana. Some people group it with getulus and others with floridana. I've also heard that the patternless goini are actually the "original" type and that the ones with the saddles (like you have), have more getulus in them. Some actually give it full subspecies classification and call it L.g.goini. Kingsnake classification is just nuts sometimes.:rolleyes: So pretty much any of the above will work, but over all it's usually just called Lampropetlis getulus "goini"(let every one else assume what subspecies it belongs too!)

[gregmonsta]

Nicely patterned :) congrats.

[Lori P]

Spot is a very handsome guy!!! Congrats. I really like his coloring and markings!!

[Loren]

Very nice. I might need to get one or two of those some day too.

[tikichick]

Roy, thanks for clearing that up, lol :rolleyes:

Thanks yall! I really like this little one's personality. One of these days I hope to stumble across a grey banded king and add that to the collection :)

[tikichick]

Spot having some food last night...

OMG! FUD!
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/buttmuncher.jpg

No, really, I like to eat em upside down and backwards.
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/thehardway.jpg

Stoopid arms.
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/thehardway2.jpg

10 minutes later...

That was good. Got any more?
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/gotanymore.jpg

The easy way.
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/theeasyway.jpg

Fuds... nom nom nom
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/fuds.jpg

[tikichick]

Why do these things have to have arms?
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/pipeline.jpg

np, I'm flexible.
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/neckstretch.jpg

5 minutes later...

Yes! Ok I'm full now.
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/fullnow.jpg

I'm not making a face, I'm realigning! Geez.
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/realignment.jpg

Looks like a face to me, lol.
http://www.lakehousemedia.com/hidden/herps/spot/realignmentcloseup.jpg

But wait! There's more! See the exciting tail thwacking action video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62o_9HM-q-k), on youtube now!

[drache]

those are really nice photos
Spot looks totally amazing
and the video is fun
I have a couple of kings that do that nail shaking thing

[tikichick]

Thanks :) Do you know why they do that? I haven't researched it yet, but I'm guessing it's a threat display and I'm curious if they're thought to be mimicking a rattler, or if that's just snake for "be gone, I'm eatin!"

[Lori P]

I love that tail shaking-- that's so cool! I was thinking the same thing; maybe it's a defense display to keep predators at bay while they are eating and vulnerable.

GREAT pics!!! And darn those arms... lol... the other day I was pondering all the little broken off legs and tails at the bottom of the pinky bag and thinking, geez, what can I do with these?? Hate to waste 'em! :-)

[adamanteus]

I love that tail shaking-- that's so cool! I was thinking the same thing; maybe it's a defense display to keep predators at bay while they are eating and vulnerable.

GREAT pics!!! And darn those arms... lol... the other day I was pondering all the little broken off legs and tails at the bottom of the pinky bag and thinking, geez, what can I do with these?? Hate to waste 'em! :-)

The tail shaking is indeed a defensive behaviour... when there are dry leaves/twigs etc around, it creates a noise not dissimilar to a rattler.

You can mix the snapped off pinky legs with chopped up fish, they stick to the fish and get swallowed along with it, so no waste!:)

[Lori P]

James--- ahhhhh!!! Great idea!! You are so wise. :-)

[CrazyHedgehog]

GREAT pics!!! And darn those arms... lol... the other day I was pondering all the little broken off legs and tails at the bottom of the pinky bag and thinking, geez, what can I do with these?? Hate to waste 'em! :-)

keep them incase you have babies, they are just right for neonate food!!

[anji1971]

Those pictures are priceless!!! Especially the one with the arms wrapped around his head!!
When Dojo was alive she used to do the tail shake thing. She never really tamed well, and if you tried to pick her up she'd crouch down and shake her tail like crazy! I've always wished I'd thrown in some dried leaves to hear what it would sound like!

[tikichick]

Now I'm gonna have to gather up some leaves and try that out! Film at 11, lol.

[Serpentine99]

Great pics tikichick, im itching to get a kingsnake, but after going to an expo the other day me and my dad have decided on a bull snake in the near future, he likes the ones who live up to their name, with the bull s**t display and everything.

[tikichick]

Thanks :) I'm not familiar with bull snakes. I'll have to check those out :D

[Serpentine99]

Thanks :) I'm not familiar with bull snakes. I'll have to check those out :D
Heres a page that explains em and gives some good pics:
Bullsnakes (http://www.homegrownherps.com/expected_bullsnakes.htm)
theres all kinds of types in the other snakes section of kingsnake.com
Kingsnake.com Classifieds > Other Snakes (http://market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=6)

[tikichick]

Thanks for the links :D Those are beautiful!

[anji1971]

They are nice snakes!
Damn, my wish list just keeps growing, and growing, and........:p

[Serpentine99]

Yeah they're really pretty,but me and my dad want em because of the hissing display they put on, my dad saw one at a show that was putting on a pretty convincing (mean snake) display and he fell in love with it. Its a pretty cool thing to see in person.