jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on May 27, 2014 20:22:13 GMT -5
I see lots of King snakes. This one has pretty fresh skin. He was crossing my driveway at 6PM today.  Got close. He never struck. But could have at 4 inches away.  |
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Post by Pat on May 27, 2014 20:56:31 GMT -5
He is mighty handsome!
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RockIt2Me
has rocks in the head
Sometimes I have to tell myself, "It's not worth the jail time."
Member since December 2009
Posts: 668
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Post by RockIt2Me on May 27, 2014 21:12:36 GMT -5
I have only seen black ones. That is good looking snake.
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on May 28, 2014 12:17:14 GMT -5
Beautiful creature.
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bhiatt
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2012
Posts: 1,532
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Post by bhiatt on May 28, 2014 12:59:36 GMT -5
nice close up. Balls!
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 28, 2014 15:16:27 GMT -5
What Brad said - nice close up!
The ones out here are called California Kings (duh!), they tend to have a more regular pattern, with wider white or yellow bands. They also can be striped head to tail, and then anything between the two (dot, dash, stripe - Morse code!). Ain't genetics wonderful?
Terrible old pic that was scanned, a neighbor found this female Cal King, she is what started us down the road to raising snakes. She laid eight eggs within a couple days of us getting her. So naturally, we had to join the local herpetological society to find out how to hatch them (in a plastic gallon milk jug, on the counter of the bathroom, lol.) All but one hatched. 
I like to see them out and about, 'cause I know that they are good at doing their job. I feel bad when I see one that got ran over. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on May 28, 2014 18:06:03 GMT -5
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 28, 2014 20:14:05 GMT -5
I checked out your other recent post ... Grilling Season. If I were that snake, I wouldn't be hanging around your driveway at diner time.
I wouldn't want to meet a Ratsnake (or any snake) that is longer than I am tall. Probably a latent survival skill that humans acquired back when we were hunters and gatherers. You live in a scary place. I thought Florida was all about oranges and cartoon mice. LOL!
Darryl.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on May 29, 2014 6:29:56 GMT -5
Pretty snake. I loved the kingsnakes we had back in Commiefornia. One phase was really chocolate colored with the bands. That eastern fom is pretty too. Though we are supposed to have two forms, I have not seen a king here in the six years I've been looking.....Mel
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on May 29, 2014 7:32:36 GMT -5
Pretty snake. I loved the kingsnakes we had back in Commiefornia. One phase was really chocolate colored with the bands. That eastern fom is pretty too. Though we are supposed to have two forms, I have not seen a king here in the six years I've been looking.....Mel The variety in Florida blows my mind. I suppose they cross and make all kinds of Heinz 57's. Another one here in Atlanta has white markings exactly like the above king. I found a pair under sheet metal, one 5 and one 6 feet long. Five footers quite common. Other than water snakes, the kings are the most common snake. And I think the kings thrive off of the water snakes. I have seen on two separate occasions king snakes attack water snakes. And the water snakes feed off the large frog population. I have to set funnel end minnow traps below the water. If I set them half out of the water tadpoles go in them and then water snakes follow. To the point that the trap is compressed with water snakes. It is a strange phenomena. The water snakes amaze me w/their athleticism. But they do not understand why the king snake wraps around his front 1/3 until it is too late. The king pushes w/his tail perpendicular to the water snake while he rolls the extended water snake up like a winder in seconds. About 4-7 rotations/wraps behind the water snakes head, then cumulative wraps squeeze and water snakes lights go out. Reminds me of a trained martial arts choke maneuver. effortless. The king snake is so docile until fight day ! |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2014 9:21:32 GMT -5
Yellow Ratsnakes are amongst the most common snakes in Florida! Seven foot is HUUUUUUGE! The images of florida kings in your link are almost all man made thru selective breeding. This one is natural from Lake Okeechobee  This is a Lake Okeechobee animal after the result of selective breeding for a few generations.  Jean you look hot with that snake! Jim that closeup is really nice! |
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 29, 2014 11:27:51 GMT -5
Wow, that orange one is Purdy!
Did ya like that, Scott? How 'bout with a gopher snake? Squinting because of bright overcast. Those pics gotta be 25 years old or older... 
Used to have a yellow rat snake back when. Funny how we came to acquire it. It came from a pet shop, was loose on top of some other reptile cages. (It was in a plastic bag full of aquarium gravel, that was being used to hold the lid down on a cage containing another snake. How do places like that stay in business?) Pointed it out to one of the employees, they said be careful, we don't know what it is, lol. They gave it to us after we caught it for them.
When these first hatch, they are very yellow, and striped. Very feisty, but they mellow out. They turn browner and get the patterning as they grow older. This is adult patterning. 
Some of my first snakes were Mexican black kings, got in a trade. Yeah, just like we trade rocks, lol. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2014 14:19:05 GMT -5
No Jean the gopher snake doesn't do it. It's the king with his princess that makes it for me!  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 29, 2014 16:27:58 GMT -5
Scott, you are so full of it, lol! So it's not the size that matters?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on May 29, 2014 16:59:21 GMT -5
This is one of two Florida snake books I keep at the cabin. I bought it because of the yellow rat snake. It is the Florida State snake. It is orange in that cover photo.  The ones I see look like this, even more lemon  |
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575 
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Post by grayfingers on May 29, 2014 17:06:31 GMT -5
Cool snakes! This is as close as I have been to a King snake.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 29, 2014 18:09:22 GMT -5
This is one of two Florida snake books I keep at the cabin. I bought it because of the yellow rat snake. It is the Florida State snake. It is orange in that cover photo. The ones I see look like this, even more lemon I think the rat snake in the pic on the book cover was juiced up a little bit... The green of the frog and the background are a little overly green as well. But the one below, like what you end to see, that's a lot more yellow than the ones I have seen. They mostly seem to be a pine-needle brownish-yellow, with the "ladder" pattern.
At one time, I had a bookcase full of just snake/reptile/amphibian books, a plethora of reference books. (Including the one with the pic taken by @wampidy on the cover!) But I've gotten rid of most of them. Still have a few inscribed to us by the authors, haven't cracked one open in years. Not like I'm ever going to need that info anymore.
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 29, 2014 18:11:51 GMT -5
Nice cover photo on the book, but I though frogs were just a little bit smarter than that! Good thing Mickey is a mouse and not a rat. He wouldn't do well against that Rat snake.
Darryl.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2014 18:51:34 GMT -5
If the "Yellow Ratsnake" has a red tongue and is orange, then it is a subspecies.
Pantherophis o. rossalleni the "Everglades Ratsnake".
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on May 29, 2014 19:07:30 GMT -5
If the "Yellow Ratsnake" has a red tongue and is orange, then it is a subspecies. Pantherophis o. rossalleni the "Everglades Ratsnake". Interesting. It gets complicated. I see them browner like Jean mentioned. But the big one that scared my brother was very yellow. To the point I was certain it was some kind of escaped tropical snake. I laughed when I found it to be an ole rat snake. Never seen the orange flavor. |
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