Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Information on this King varies, some sites say it's a subspecies, others say it's a Cal morph. Anyone have any pics or info on this King? Thanks!

Scott D

Anyone have any pics or info on this King? Thanks!
>>

Blaney has a pic of one in his article on the getulas. It actually looks identical to splendida, and he attributes them to being splendida.

-----
Ace

I believe that specimen that Blaney shows is the ONLY specimen ever collected. It is a perfect specimen of L.g. splendida except it was supposed to be more "purple". Of course, lots of brownish kingsnakes look somewhat purple, so I don't think this means much.

Grismer (in his Baja book) recognizes the species L. catalinensis, but doesn't give any more evidence to support it other than the existence of the single specimen. He spent considerable time looking for them as well and couldn't find one.

How did a perfect splendida get to Isla Catalina? Who knows? But I think it is much more parsimonious to doubt its origin/history than recognize it as a separate taxon. Heck, it is even more parsimonious to assume it was a developmental anomaly that resulted in a pattern reversion than it is to assume it was a taxon represented by one specimen.

-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I too find it interesting that a splendida could be on Catalina, being just off California. I've been told by others that they are Cal king morphs with looks that vary. Would be nice to see some pics, but as you said only one ever has been found.

Thanks for your help.

Scott D

Are we talking about Isla Catalina off of Mexico or Catalina Island off of California?

The California Catalina has gophersnakes, Souther Pacific rattlers, Cal kings, sceloporous lizards, alligator lizards, Pacific treefrogs, even two-striped gaters that washed ashore on flotsam on currents from central Cal. I don't think they meant this Catalina.
-----
Mark

The splendida looking King (catalinensis) is from Isla Santa Catalina off Baja in the Sea of Cortez. It's somewhat common to think of the Calif "Catalina Island" first though.

Thanks! I was thinking of Catalina Island off California. From what I've heard they resemble Cal Kings, but with some differances. Would be nice to see a pic!

Brian Hubbs is writing a book on common kingsnakes. This king will be discussed in his book, and if there's a picture, I'm sure it will be in there. I've never seen a picture of it, but if it was some kind of Cal king with a different pattern, it would more likely just be a morph. There are lots of different morphs that are way off from the normal Cal kings.

Northern Cal

So Cal

Should be very interesting when Brian has his book done and it's on sale. I've seen many pics of Brian's work with Cal kings, they are very extensive from inland to the coast with all the different variations of colors and patterns. From counties to counties, North to South and East to West, covering the range of the Cal king.

What I find interesting about the Catalina king is that the Catalina Island is some 22 miles off the coat of California, it has very rough and cold waters to get there, or back. It's been Isolated from the Cal king population for perhaps thousands of years or longer, so with this kind of Isolation and smaller gene pool than on the main land how is the coloration, markings, etc going to differ from those on the main land. Will there be aberrant, striped all banded? Darker coloration or lighter, combinations of all or a king very different than the main land Cal king? Will these kings just be morph of the Cal king or really be a different subspecies.

Everything that I have read, papers, sites, scientific articles states very lttle on this subject. I think there has only been one picture taken of this king in the 20's.

Either way it will be exciting to see the out come!

Scott D

John, those are great pics of a snake with many "faces", and your monniker shows that you are truly sick, lol! I am laughing/crying my @$$ off!
-----
Todd Hughes

Seems hard to think that Splendida could have made it to the Island of Catalina. So would the Catalina King be a subspecies in the Lampropeltis group? Thanks for your help!

Scott D

The Santa Catalina referred to in the description on the snake you're questioning is Isla Santa Catalina in the Sea of Cortez, NOT the Santa Catalina Island off southern CA (US) coast. The island is between the Mexican states of Baja California Sur and Sonora. Dark-phase (nitida) cal. kings are found in Baja California Sur while splendida kings are found in Sonora. Although the island is closer to the Baja Peninsula than the Sonoran coast, it is entirely feasable for the population of kings that inhabit it to have originated from the Sonoran coast.

Reading the info in Grismer's book is invaluable to understanding the biogeography of the region, in spite of his "free take" on describing new species. It's a good book to have on the shelf.

-Cole