Re: Mexican Black Kingsnake with lotsa yellow

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Posted by Brandon Osborne on April 09, 2003 at 23:04:50:

In Reply to: Mexican Black Kingsnake with lotsa yellow posted by tigress on April 09, 2003 at 22:29:44:

Hmmmm. You probably got suckered. I would guess two snakes here. First.......Mexican Blacks can look identical to Desert Kings as hatchlings.......and I mean identical. Over time, Mexicans should lose 99.9%of their yellow or pale colors and be almost solid black or dark brown. The lightest Mexicans I've seen have only had a light spot on the anal plate and just under the chin.

The second.......a black king as you suggested. The main difference between deserts and black (nigra) is, the deserts have more speckling on the sides, usually a more crisp and define pattern, and a mostly black head and neck. Do a search for Desert Kingsnakes (L. g. splendida) and you'll probably find your snake. If not, it's probably a Black King (L. g. nigra). Good luck.

Brandon Osborne

:Ok, question here for anyone who knows much about Mexican Black Kingsnakes. I have had one for five years. When I bought him he had a lot of yellow and white but I was told (and read) that sometiems they are born with some yellow but tend to grow out of it. He never did, sometimes it seems he gets more yellow and white on him. In fact, take a look at pictures of a black kingsnake and he looks a lot like that.

:Is it possible a Mexican Black Kingsnake can have that much yellow and white (almost everything I've read on them seems to imply even when they do have other colors it's like a spot or two.. his is not just a spot or two, it's spots all along the bottom sides and around the mouthline)? Or was I just sold a black kingsnake renamed (because I was in Georgia at the time and black kingsnakes there are illegal)?

:Not that it matters now (except I'm insanely jealous of anyone with a pure black mexican black kingsnake cause that's why I originally wanted that particular kingsnake) cause I already have him, but I'm just curious. He's got a great temperment though (part of why I was convinced to buy him despite he wasn't exactly what I was looking for, that and I did think that he probably would grow out of it as everything I read implied that even when born with yellow/white spots the spots eventually went away).

Follow Ups:

Re: Mexican Black Kingsnake with lotsa yellow tigress 04/10/03 (4)
- Re: Mexican Black Kingsnake with lotsa yellow Brandon Osborne 04/10/03 (3)
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    - Re: Mexican Black Kingsnake with lotsa yellow Brandon Osborne 04/10/03 (1)
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