Kingsnake temperament

Hi, just wondering if there is a type of kingsnake that is generally more docile than others. Thanks!

As babies colubrids are flighty and nippy. Handling them few times a week will settle them down. Most kings are docile if fed properly and given proper setups. Though there are times youll get one that will not tame down and be aggressive.

Thats the joys of snakes, they keep you on your feet.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

As babies colubrids are flighty and nippy. Handling them few times a week will settle them down. Most kings are docile if fed properly and given proper setups. Though there are times youll get one that will not tame down and be aggressive.

Thats the joys of snakes, they keep you on your feet.

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Thanks, also from what i've gathered so far, milksnakes are a sub-species of kingsnakes. Are there any behavioral difference between the two? I heard that milksnakes are a little more flighty than kingnsnakes.

Hondurans and Pueblans are very flighty if not handled a bit. They are not prone to biting but do love to take off and musk.

I work with the adult Colubrids at BHB and they are the only specie in that room to not bite me

I would say go with the black mexican kingsnake. They are the best tempermented out of them all. We have 2 males currently and are looking for a female. We love ours. Good luck on whatever your choice is :)

No matter what colubrid you get keep in mind they will become what you make them.

Thanks for the feedback =) I have a BP and a corn snake right now, and i love them both. I'm just doing research on potential new species that are best suited for my situation.

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Originally Posted by collrak

Thanks for the feedback =) I have a BP and a corn snake right now, and i love them both. I'm just doing research on potential new species that are best suited for my situation.

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Just keep in mind you can't house them together, one will eat the other:O

I can tell you my experience with the few that I've kept.

California kings are probably my favorites, and least flighty. Didn't care for the Pueblan milksnake, it never calmed down as much as I handled it - it was a freak-a-zoid! LOL

My black milks are still pretty flighty, but as 6 and 7 foot adults are supposed to be pretty calm - so, they just need to get some size on them.

Had a friend with a mexican black kingsnake that bit you and held on every chance they got - it was loco! LOL

Another colubrid that I keep that I love are Sonoran Gophers - in the pit family. One of my favorites!

Yes, i think my next snake will be a kingsnake. There are quite a few good looking morphs out there.

Over the years I've kept large numbers of every ssp of common king. There are some I would recommend over others.

Cal kings: in my experience, they musked more often than any other kingsnake. Albinos always seemed prone to biting without any warning, and the normals which were not as bad did the same thing occasionally.

Desert (splendida): Usually very calm with little problems. Some musking occasionally.

Mex. Black (nigrita): Could be flighty until they got a little size on them. Some musking occasionally.

Speckled (holbrooki): Very small hatchlings. Can be somewhat flighty if not handled often.

Black (nigra): Very calm. I've picked these up in the wild with zero restraint. No biting, no musking, no flightyness. Only downfall is the least attractive of the kings.

Eastern (getula): Calm, easty to handle. Babies can be difficult to start. Start with an animal that has a little size and is guaranteed to eat rodents. Can reach very large size.

Blotched/Goini (meansi/goini/getula): Usually very calm with the exception of feeding time. Can also reach very large size.

Florida/Brooksi (floridana/brooksi/getula): My favorite of all. Very easy to handle. Feeds well, but watch out. They love to eat. Never experienced one that musked or one being flighty.

With this said, I would recommend a yearling or older grayband over any of these. Grayband are one of the most non-offensive snakes I've ever dealt with. They just don't have a means streak in them unless you are a mouse or a lizard. Similar in temperment are Sinaloan milksnakes. Very very calm and easy to handle.

Good luck.

I've had California, Speckled and Prairies and all three species (and I had three of each) were flighty, nippy, musky, you name it. I'm sure there are exceptions but I'm definitely not a fan of them myself.

I definitely agree with Brandon. I have two greybands and have owned others in the past and they have a great temperament. I've never been musked by one and the only time I've ever had one strike at me is when I startled my big male.

Good luck choosing! :D

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Originally Posted by Brandon Osborne

Over the years I've kept large numbers of every ssp of common king. There are some I would recommend over others.

Cal kings: in my experience, they musked more often than any other kingsnake. Albinos always seemed prone to biting without any warning, and the normals which were not as bad did the same thing occasionally.

Desert (splendida): Usually very calm with little problems. Some musking occasionally.

Mex. Black (nigrita): Could be flighty until they got a little size on them. Some musking occasionally.

Speckled (holbrooki): Very small hatchlings. Can be somewhat flighty if not handled often.

Black (nigra): Very calm. I've picked these up in the wild with zero restraint. No biting, no musking, no flightyness. Only downfall is the least attractive of the kings.

Eastern (getula): Calm, easty to handle. Babies can be difficult to start. Start with an animal that has a little size and is guaranteed to eat rodents. Can reach very large size.

Blotched/Goini (meansi/goini/getula): Usually very calm with the exception of feeding time. Can also reach very large size.

Florida/Brooksi (floridana/brooksi/getula): My favorite of all. Very easy to handle. Feeds well, but watch out. They love to eat. Never experienced one that musked or one being flighty.

With this said, I would recommend a yearling or older grayband over any of these. Grayband are one of the most non-offensive snakes I've ever dealt with. They just don't have a means streak in them unless you are a mouse or a lizard. Similar in temperment are Sinaloan milksnakes. Very very calm and easy to handle.

Good luck.

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Wow, thank you very much for the detailed response. I was actually looking at a Brooksi as my first kingsnake. Good to know that someone has had good experiences with them.

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Originally Posted by collrak

Wow, thank you very much for the detailed response. I was actually looking at a Brooksi as my first kingsnake. Good to know that someone has had good experiences with them.

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Babies can be defensive but grow out of the fight response very quickly. They can grow very large and make great pets. I've had a few animals near 6'. My collection of brooksi at one point was around 50 adults.lol. They are definitely my favorite kings.
One of my White Phase
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...nerBrooksi.jpg

Yearling Sulfur
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...sjuly29026.jpg

Yearling Lavender Sulfur
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...vsulfur640.jpg

Big Whitie. My original White phase hatched in 1993. RIP.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...gwhitie640.jpg

Adult Sulfur
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...akes/11111.jpg

Adult Sulfur by far the best yellow brooksi I've ever seen.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/osborne3.jpg

Can't go wrong with any of them.
Enjoy

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Originally Posted by Brandon Osborne

Babies can be defensive but grow out of the fight response very quickly. They can grow very large and make great pets. I've had a few animals near 6'. My collection of brooksi at one point was around 50 adults.lol. They are definitely my favorite kings.

Can't go wrong with any of them.
Enjoy

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Yeah, i expect some nippiness and musking when they're little, but hopefully they'll calm down after enough consistent handling. I'm glad to learn that they can grow close to 6'.

From what i've seen so far, i like the Sulfur (high-yellow) and Flame Hypo (reddish/orange) morphs. Do you recommend any particular breeders? So far, i found one breeder that has really nice high-yellow morphs: http://serpentinespecialties.webs.com/

I like the distribution of white and black pattern in your white phase snakes. The yellow pattern in your sulphur is really solid, and nice.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Hondurans and Pueblans are very flighty if not handled a bit. They are not prone to biting but do love to take off and musk.

I work with the adult Colubrids at BHB and they are the only specie in that room to not bite me

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I object that state ment on pueblans... I had an albino hypo tangerien and that thing was Satan. All it did was bite and bite and yes bite, I've heard from numerous people the same thing about thiers also imo



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Doug is a good guy. You can't go wrong with him. ;)

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Originally Posted by collrak

Yeah, i expect some nippiness and musking when they're little, but hopefully they'll calm down after enough consistent handling. I'm glad to learn that they can grow close to 6'.

From what i've seen so far, i like the Sulfur (high-yellow) and Flame Hypo (reddish/orange) morphs. Do you recommend any particular breeders? So far, i found one breeder that has really nice high-yellow morphs: http://serpentinespecialties.webs.com/

I like the distribution of white and black pattern in your white phase snakes. The yellow pattern in your sulphur is really solid, and nice.

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I got my first Cal King in August, he's a year old Hypo Lavender Albino Ruby Eyed and at first he was real skittish, musked all the time, tail going crazy and was bitey but I just slowly worked with him, only holding him for 10 mins every other day for about 2 weeks and now he's GREAT! I can pick him up with no problems at all. I've came to really enjoy King snakes from having him and would recommend them to anybody!:gj::snake:

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Originally Posted by collrak

Hi, just wondering if there is a type of kingsnake that is generally more docile than others. Thanks!

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I have had many different types of kings and my favorite has been the Black and White banded Cal. King. I have had several of these and have never had one act aggressive towards me at all. Very good snake for starters and beginners.

My Brooks is gentle as a kitten, unless it smells a mouse. Then it strikes at the air, at my hand, at any movement. This is a good thing, it eats like a starving shark.

Aside from the feeding response, it has never offered to strike or bite.

Each snake is different. I had a Black King I kept from my back yard for a while. One day, it just started biting and latching each time I held it. It went back to my yard...

Had a Cal King that was great, one that bit and was flighty.

Best of luck with your search!

We have several kings of various ages, and this is what I have learned from ours....

Mostly, they are all show. They like to musk, especially the little ones. Our Mexican Black is probably the most bitey, and when he bites, he doesn't let go! He's too small to even break skin, but its pretty hysterical to see him get all worked up and latch on to your finger.

A lot of times, its just a bunch of tail rattling. Though, one of our new ones, a striped Cali King..... He is very weird about eating. He will strike at the rat/mouse, and hiss, but he never grabs it. Just strike...hiss... and back off. We just lay it on the hide, and he eventually comes around and eats it. Weirdo.

Our Goini is the least flighty and aggressive. She's never struck, hissed, musked or anything. She's also very pretty to look at... but the least active in her tank. She just likes to hide.

ALL of them are good eaters. With the exception of the striped one, they all eat whenever offered. Our largest Cali would eat until he exploded if you let him.

They make really great pet snakes. They are active in their tanks, and pretty easy to care for. Plus they are WAY less expensive then BPs! Good luck with which ever one you choose!

I've kept many different kings over the years and have to say that Brooksi are the most docile - hands down. Of course, there are some that are just mean and will bite or musk and actually seem to enjoy it, but of all the Brooksi I've own and worked with I've never had a bad one - ever. Cal kings on the other hand..... mine very rarely attempt to bite but will musk and spaz out for any or no reason at all. regardless of the amount of handling you do with them.

If you want a pet kingsnake, you just cant go wrong with a Brooksi.

P.R

I'm gonna have t agree with the Florida/Brooksi Kingsnake. I've had my 4 year old guy for about a month now and hes the best darn snake I have. Very active, very curious, amazing personality but watch out when he smells anything that resembles food. Just today (hes in blue) he missed his first strike on the f/t mouse and launched himself less than a second later at my arm and ended up halfway out of the tank with his face in my bed from the strike. Instantly backed up and struck again at the mouse I was waving around at him. He does NOT beat around the bush when it comes to food! haha Handling him is a joy but he will poop if hes been out too long but otherwise hes great! Get one! haha

Good point - the Brooksi I have is active and curious as well. Far more so than my Corn or Milk. She seems to come to the front of her bin almost asking me to take her out :D

I've got a baby/entering juvenile black mexi king (ebony) and she's never even acted like she was going to strike at me. She is a tad flighty but calms down after about 30 seconds. She's also very active in the tank and will even come out of her hide when she sees me look in.

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