I really like Hubbs, he knows that. But he is dismissing Biology. The theory of common ancestor, and both Genotype and phenotype.
Its simple biology that phenotypic pressures selects for color and pattern. Changes in that, will indeed modify color and pattern. What Hubbs does not consider is environment/weather/climate is in constant change and it has for thousands of years. Wet to dry, dry to wet, the constant change of plant cover type, the constant imbalance of predators.
The problem is, TIME. Hubbs makes up his mind with the amount of time he has herped kings. The problem with that is, these kings have been here and doing what they are doing for tens of thousands of years. Hubbs window of time is less then a second, in the existence of getula.
Genotype, is the bag of possibilities that an individual and colony has to draw from. The phenotype of what the current pressures allow.
Hubbs and I both agree that stripe kings dominate low wetter grassy areas and banded kings dominate open hillsides, deserts, dryer areas, also Cal black kings are low lying wetter grassy areas. As is Black kings here. Desert kings are products of higher grasslands here in So Az. As are Mohaves. These areas of confusion are areas of unstable habitat, and often have mohaves and diamondbacks. As well as, goofy kingsnake patterns. In SoCal, you guys would simply call them abberants. So I ask, why are they not abberants here? What Hubbs is dismissing is habitat type. Which I feel is very very important.

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