Meet "Indigo", my new Mexican Black Kingsnake..

[Tigergenesis]

Not the best of pics, but it's difficult to focus and click while holding this little guy.

He was born 7/03. I've had him for almost 2 weeks now. When I brought him home he weighed 24 grams. Not sure of length (I'd guess 12 inches). He's eaten twice for me now so I know he weighs more - I can see it too.

He's still in quarantine so I try not to bother him too much. Was cleaning his cage and thought I'd try for a couple of pics. He's been hiding quite a bit (ate on Saturday) so I was thinking he might be getting ready to shed. He did appear to be a bit duller and have a bit of a blue hue to him. Tomorrow he has his first vet appointment so hopefully all goes well.

Thanks for looking! :)

[Tigergenesis]

Here's another:

[marisa]

Very cute! You'll definitly know when these guys are in shed! It's hard to miss. They go sooooooo blue. :) I almost like their looks in shed better than normal! lol

Marisa

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Excellent snakes! Some say the "poor mans Indigo", but either way, just a sweet king. Good deal.

[Tigergenesis]

That's why I named him "Indigo" - couldn't think of a name and I picked it just to be funny

[Vengeance]

Good luck with the little guy, awsome looking snake!

[Tigergenesis]

Well, Indigo just came from his vet visit. Clear fecal and great exam. The vet did say he seemed small for his age and thought perhaps the breeder just fed him a maintenance diet. The breeder also told me he kept him at room temp w/o a gradient. Based on that the vet and I agreed he was more than likely not feed weekly and was just on a maintenance diet. He told me to slowly increase his feedings, but other than that gave a clean bill of health. This vet has breed snakes for years and actually used to breed Mex Blacks so he was full of information. Even gave me the names of breeders he highly recommends doing business with (breeders he's known and worked with).

Oh yeah, he said he's not convinced Indigo is a male. He was actually helping my normal vet out and had left his probes at home (or his office I can't remember) and told me to bring Indigo to this month's reptile show and he'd probe for free.

All in all a good day.

[Simon Sansom]

Hi TigerG,

Just a heads-up; the breeder said he kept him at "room temperature without a gradient" - I would assume that he means the ambient temperature of his dedicated herp-room, not the regular room temps of the house.

Make sure the snake can warm up to the low-to-mid eighties.
My North American colubrids are kept at the ambient temps of my herp-room. which ranges from 80 - 83 degrees F and they all do quite well without any supplemental heating or "hot-spots".

Not second-guessing your level of experience, just wanting to make sure everything's okay.

Nice little snake, too, by the way.

Black Kings are spectacular animals.

Cheers!

Simon

[Katt]

I don't considering the mex blks the poor man's indigo. They're beautiful snakes in their own right. Good buy!!

[ruthupton]

Lovely snake! I love Kings.

[BoidKeeper]

They're great! I miss mine. Asphixia has them now.
Can't wait till he breeds them!
Cheers,
Trevor

[Tigergenesis]

Just a heads-up; the breeder said he kept him at "room temperature without a gradient" - I would assume that he means the ambient temperature of his dedicated herp-room, not the regular room temps of the house.

I'm not sure what he meant, because at first he said "You can just keep them at room temperature". I don't know if he was assuming that I keep my house in the 80s or what. Then I said, "So they don't need a temperature gradient?" to which he replied something like "It's not necessary. I even have one that is just heated to the 80s for my snakes". So I'm not sure if he was saying my snake was in that room or in a room with lower room temps (to me that would mean in the low 70s - since that's what our house temps are).

He/she is so cute.

I do have a question...what does it mean when snakes musk? I mean is it a scent/spray, do they defecate with it? Is it obvious when a snake musks?

[BoidKeeper]

Painfuly obvious! It's a foul smelling liquid that comes out their vent. Some time just to spice things up they'll just crap on you to boot!
Cheers,
Trevor