never mind Thomas, I guess we were typing at the same time, lol! I get where you are coming from, but as for me, I like being able to distinguish the animals, whether it is just a difference in longitude and latitude, or elevation. If using subspecies gets this done, so be it. What about pockets of isolation, or island forms? Surely a sticticeps is not a Cal king, no? I might as well call the Mustang Island kings something new, they are, after all both a splendy and a holbrooki in one, and the same, lol! But they will not see gene flow from the mainland until a backwash from a hurricane happens, once every 10-30 years or so, so it's back and forth. I know you said you have seen all the forms of getula in Texas, I have seen quite a bit myself, but I don't think I've seen all the possible dynamics even in this state alone. I think that probably,(highly likely) splendida, holbrooki, and nigrita are all the same animal, but I personally draw the line with Cal kings. I believe easterns are different in their own right, but feel that nigra are a mix of eastern and holbrooki. Don't know yet where I stand on floridana and goini, meansi, whatever. sticticeps? well, a washed over eastern. Very cool, but has it been there long enough to be individual, I don't think so. Just to be straight, do you think there are only three species of kingsnakes in Texas? Graybands, getula, and calligaster? I could see that.
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Todd Hughes

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