FLORIDA KINGSNAKES
Lampropeltis getula floridans
Average adult size is 91.4-121.9 cm, record is 176.5 cm.
Adults are variable in coloration from brown to yellow. They have more than 40 yellowish dorsal crossbands and a lateral chain-like pattern. The scales between the crossbands lighten with age, starting as black, they may develop to be the same light color as the crossbands. The belly has a checkerboard pattern. The scales are smooth.
They range in Florida, it is found throughout the peninsula from Volusia Co. south to Key Largo. It does often intergrades (interbreeds) with the Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula), It is not found outside of Florida.
These are one of my favourite species of Kingsnakes: easy to care for, eat regularly and will not cause any problems. They are one of the larger species of Kingsnakes with some males getting to around the 5ft and considerably chunky - though generally 4ft is normal.
We keep and breed many of the colour varieties available and are also trying to create new varieties in every breeding season - these are still quite new in the hobby and the actual genetics of some morphs are still being worked out. The future is very bright for Florida Kingsnakes and the possibility to make new paint jobs is endless!
Keep an eye out on our available page for 2019 hatchlings…
Brooksi or Floridana??
It was believed at one time that these were two different species with Brooksi being classed as a really light hypo looking specimen from the southern part of Florida and the Floridana a darker looking snake.
This however is not true and both are the same species. The scientific name for all Florida Kingsnakes is Lampropeltis getula floridana.
These are the morphs we are currently working with:
Peanut butter
Hypo
Jelly
T-Albino
Snow - Axanthic
Axanthic
Phantom
Ghost
Golden Peanut Butter
Peabino
WS Axanthic
WS Peanut Butter
Hybino
Orangeade
HYPO - TYPE A
REDUCTION IN BLACK PIGMENTATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF REMAINING COLOURS
THE ORIGINAL HYPO WAS BELIEVED TO COME FROM COLLIER COUNTY
PEANUT BUTTER - HYPO TYPE B
COMPLETE ABSENCE OF BLACK PIGMENTATION
THESE WERE ORIGINALLY COLLECTED FROM DADE COUNTY BACK IN THE EARLY 90'S AND WERE VERY DISTINCT FROM THE 'NORMAL' FORIDA KINGSNAKES
THERE IS SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN HATCHLINGS WITH MALES BEING LIGHT IN COLOUR AND FEMALES ARE ALWAYS DARK BUT ALL TEND TO LIGHTEN INTO ADULTHOOD
ALBINO (T-ALBINO)
TYROSINASE NEGATIVE
ALBINO LACKS TYROSINASE AS THEY CANT PRODUCE MELANIN WHICH RESULTS IN A WHITE SNAKE WITH YELLOW/ORANGE COLOURS AND PINK EYES
AXANTHIC
LACKING YELLOW PIGMENT WHICH ESSENTIALLY MAKES THE SNAKE LOOK BLACK AND WHITE IN COLOUR HOWEVER IT DOES GIVE IT A BLUE/PURPLE SHEEN
JELLY
THE JELLY IS THE COMBINATION OF THE PEANUT BUTTER AND T-ALBINO GENE WHICH SHARE AN ALLELE GENE
IF YOU BREED THESE TWO TOGETHER IN THE FIRST GENERATION YOU WILL PRODUCE JELLIES
HOWEVER THIS IS THE FUN PART WHEN YOU BREED A JELLY TO ANOTHER MORPH IT WILL ONLY PASS ON ONE OF THE ATTRIBUTES AND NOT BOTH - SO EITHER THE PEANUT BUTTER GENE OR THE T-ALBINO GENE WILL BE PASSED ONTO THE OFFSPRING AND UNTIL YOU RAISE THAT OFFSPRING UP AND TEST BREED YOU WILL NOT KNOW WHICH HAS BEEN PASSED ON
GHOST
Also known as Hypo or Hypomelanistic. The “Ghost” is a recessive mutation that reduces the black pigmentation. Although there are many different lines of ghosts, they generally follow the same general description. Ghosts are varying shades of yellow, brown, grey and green depending on which genes are used
THESE ARE IN MY OPINION THE GHOST COMBINATIONS AVAILABLE:
ANERY X HYPO (TYPE A) - ORIGINAL GHOST
ANERY X PEANUT BUTTER (TYPE B) - PHANTOM
AXANTHIC X HYPO (TYPE A)
AXANTHIC X PEANUT BUTTER (TYPE B)
ORANGEADE
BELIEVED TO BE A DOUBLE ALBINO
T-ALBINO X T+ALBINO
FIRST PRODUCED HERE IN 2015
