Reptile & Amphibian Forums

These Cal kings are not often seen in the pet trade. I only know of a hand full of people who have them and only one of them bred them this year. However, they are found wild in the San Joaquin Valley. I am fortunate enough to live in the range of there known habitat. Myself and a couple of friend mad a mission to find as many of them as we could. We found that the ratio of normal looking kings(banded) and these different looking kings was about 1 and 3. For those of you that don’t know these kings represent a simple recessive trait gene much like albinism. They have been called many different names. The most common names are, Black Belly King, Mendota King, Davis Phase Cal King, and San Joaquin Aberrant Cal King.

The following are pics that I took

These are pics that my friends took.

photo Brian Hubbs

The following are by Pat Briggs

photo by Dave Tobler

Thanks for looking!!
Bobby MacGregor

Obviously more than one person bred these this year.

I bred some Davis locale/hypermelanistic (Rick Staub stock).

As well as some more Mendota locale, like I have for a few years.

And other hypermelanistics.

And half of the equation of Blizzards is the hypermelanistic gene.

And here is a picture of a hypermelanistic cal king.

Kerby...

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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

Oh yes anther name for these is “Hypermelanistic Cal King”. Although, it is hard for me to identify this group conclusively as hypermelanistic because only one that I’ve seen(not found be me) showed the “reduced white”, in my area. Most of the ones that I have found look like the pics that I posted, which for me don’t look hypermelanistic. But please don’t think that I’m saying that they are not. I am only going by appearances and that is very inconclusive. I have seen Rick Staub’s (northern range) that you showed. Most likely it is the same gene but to me the one’s that I find look different(southern Range). Can you please post pics of more animals that you produced that fit this description? I would really like to see the Mendota locals.
Thanks!!
Bobby MacGregor

Bobby,

Those are some real cool looking snakes and pics. I love to see wildcaught kings. Is there any way you could post some habitat shots and or board or AC you found them under? Would really like to see many more pics like this on the forum. Thats is something we don't get much of around here and I would sure like to see more shots,, particlary insitu shots and habitat.

Pleeeze!~
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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!

I’m sorry to say that I don’t have many pics in the way of habitat shots and or insitu. However, I do have some uploaded on my lab top but unfortunately that not with me right now. When I get a chance I’ll post them latter. For now, I just have these two crappy pics to give you some perspective.

Aaron can you share some photos the day that you and I found your first Black Belly?

carpet where I flipped a normal looking king. however, you can't tell by looking at the pic but there is lots of AC around and I have found lots of BB's in this spot.

This pic can kind of give you an idea of what the terrain looks like.

Mendotas and Davis hypermelanistics are locale specific....

Most other hypermelanistics just represent a recessive gene in terminology.

There are a lot of hypermelanistics...and they are the same gene. I bred a Mendota to a Davis this year and got all the same-hypermelanistics. I believe last year Don Shores bred 2 different hypermelanistics and got all hypermelanistics.

Last year I bred a Blizzard (albino & hypermelanistic) to a Mendota and got all hypermelanistics (100% het albino as well).

A couple of years ago I bred a Mendota to a Ghost/Palomar locale and all the babies came out banded (look like Grease cal kings) and are double hets (hypermelanistic and Ghost/Palomar). Next year I will be breeding quite a few of those back to each other...producing Ghosts/Palomar; hypermelanistics...and 1/16 should show both traits (whatever that will be).

I have bred the Mendotas/hypermelanistics to:

Mendotas x Albinos
Mendotas x Lavenders
Mendotas x Blizzards
Mendotas x Carlsbad striper locale
Mendota x Davis

I still need to breed them to other hypos (Blue-Eyed Blondes, etc..)

Kerby...

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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

They don't change much.

Kerby...

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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

A while back ago I bred an Albino High White to a Mendota producing double hets (albino & hypermelanistic)...I kept 1.3 of those (sold 3.3) and have produced some oddball looking cal kings. I believe this girl is a hypermelanistic.

Kerby...

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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

Parents were double hets (albino & hypermelanistic).

Different looking/hypo looking.

Kerby...

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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

Different in that it has a lot of speckling.

Kerby...

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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

Thanks for posting those pics. Those are some interesting looking animals. I’m glad that you already bread the Mendota phase to the Davis phase kings already and produced similar animals. I was talking to a friend of mine and he had mentioned doing that to see what would happen. Now that you have already proven them out it is not necessary for me to do it. I also can’t wait to see what those double hets produce. It seems that they could throw some really interesting looking snakes.

I went to your website and checked out your hypermelanistics. I find it interesting how your “Mendota” local looks similar to your “Davis” local. I have personally seen over 20 different hypermelanistics found in Mendota and none of them are quit as dark as the ones you have. Do you mind me asking, how or where did you obtained that local?

Also if your interested send me an email we could talk more specifically about some local hypers that I find less than a mile from my house. The second pic in my original post is 1 of 4 that I found by my house.

Thanks!!
Bobby

I got my Mendotas in 2002 from Bill Cobb. He got his from Tim Rainwater in the mid 1990's.

That hypermelanistic gene is found throughout that area of California....we could come up with 100 different "locale" names other than Mendota and Davis as that hypermelanistic gene is NOT that uncommon.

There have been numerous finds posted on other field collecting forums in the past few years.

Kerby...
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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

do all of the hypermelanistics brown out with age or do any stay black and grey like the young one in your pic?
adam jeffery
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"CARLOS MENCIA FOR EL PRESIDENTE"
hybrid breeders association
1.1 puebladurans
1.1 sinacorns
1.1 hypo corns
1.1 crimson corns
1.1 striped ghosts
1.1 kenyan sand boas
1.1 mbk
1.1 albino corns
1.2 pueblacorns (females are albino)
1.1 childrens python
1.3 ghost corns
2.2 butter(both females motley)
2.2 pyroxgreerixruthvenixcampbellixholbrooki
0.1 pyroxgreerixruthvenixcampbellixholbrooki
1.0 snow corns
1.0 jurassic milk
1.0 house snake
0.1 anery pueblacorn
0.1 bloodred
0.1 striped albino corn
0.1 albino nelsons
0.1 anery motley
0.1 normal corn het hypo,anery
0.1 hypo tang hondo
0.1 rosy boa

I meant to reply under this thread on the Mendotas (baby and adult pics),

Here is an almost solid chocolate that I produced last year by messing with the hypermelanistic gene

Kerby...

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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

Here is an almost solid chocolate that I produced last year by messing with the hypermelanistic gene

and the recipe is...?
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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!

A tad of this...a little bit of that...a pinch of_____ , sprinkle some of _____, shake it all up.....AND GET LUCKY!

I think I have TOO MANY special projects!

Kerby...
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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

I think I have TOO MANY special projects!

Ya me to!

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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!

What the heck is that.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 11/29

popped out of some wildcaughts.
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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!

Is it a desert king?
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 11/29

Well the pic was meant for Kerby to cough up the ingredients of the chocolate king he produced. Maybe if he replies the secret ingredients I might share locale info. Talk to kerby.
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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!

Mike, those are Cal kings.

Ok… I’m not sure if you understand what I mean. You keep calling those kings “hypermelanistic”. I don’t think that it is as easy to call them that, because not all of them show that trait from what me and my friends have found. In most cases they are hypo-melansitic which is contradictory with what you call them. (with the exception of the black belly). I think that if you have been in the field with me you would come up with the same conclusion. I only say this because it would not surprise to see these kings names officially as something ells.

And something ells to mention about the coloration. Most of the ones that we find, have more white speckling which would support hypo-melanistic.

Albino is a form of HYPOmelanism...darker snakes are not HYPO.

Kerby...
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Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

Those are some cool looking snakes.