Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am talking about true real deal locale cal kings.Save the easterns for another post.

Here are a few I am working with ( but not all).
Enjoy.

INYO county snakes.

MONO county.

this is a w/c hypo from freeport calif ( sac county) and below is a f1 El Dorado county (Merker) hypo.I will see in a few days if they are the same.

black bellies from Clovis Calif.Only ones in the hobby that I know of.I will see the results in a couple weeks and it looks like the second female of the trio is about to lay also.

this is a Barette lake (San Diego county) snake.

another female.

carlsbad pair.

Davis snakes.

now, here is something you probably have never seen.This pair is from La Quinta Calif.Yep, Palm Springs.These are not scissors and not man made crosses.
Gary Keesler found a spotted/striped black and white many years ago while working there.One of his workers found another a few days later in the same yard but it was a normal banded black and white.
Anyway, it proved out and this is the only pair around now that I know about and I am breeding them pure.


here is a really nice pair I collected this spring in the central calif valley.The male is a black belly and is aberrant and hyperthrystic.The feamle is normal but really has allot of bands and that is very cool I think.

Like the La Quinta animals this is another rare locale animal.These are "ghost" palomar kings.The two females ( one striped and one banded) are het for the gene whatever it is.

Ramona Calif female.

Rancho Santa Margarita. I just love this animal.I really like the black tipping in the inner bands.It really looks cool in person.

this is just a nice big old San Diego county female.She is really big and laid 14 good eggs a few weeks ago.

This is the real deal.w/c Scissors crossing (06) male.

another scissors.

this is probably a scissors but not 100% sure.Huge also.

This banded guy is huge.He is about 5.5 feet long.
I believe him to be a san felipe but I am not 100% sure.So I just use him as a generic.They used to be around but I haven't seen them for a while.

Well, I hope you enjoyed it.I also have some natida,conjuncta,purple passions and a couple others but they aren't true locales.

I also have a real nice pair of black and white banded kings from Yreka northern Calif.I need to snap some pics of them.
L8r Shannon

Found in April of this year:

Third Eye

Wow, perfect.

Believe it or not, I found one in Petsmart that nice lol.

>>Found in April of this year:
>>
>>Third Eye
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Mark

I've actually seen the pattern quality of stock at petsmart increase over the last few years, at least with respect to corns.

Haven't seen the health quality improve though. They are skinny and underfed and often look on the brink of death.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

I found Cal Kings in two locales this April:

Third Eye

Off dirt Mulholland drive.

Found him night driving.

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

WOW !!!!!!!!true blk and white ...a left coast eastern ...

Even hisses with a West coast accent...GRIN!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Duuuude, what're you talkin' about? Here on the west coast we don't have accents. HAHAHA!

reako45

If you were born and raised in the San Fernando Valley (AKA the Valley) like I was, then you totally have one dude. Even after all these years I still have a hard time not saying awesome or totally. Hahahahaha!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

LOL! Was crackin' up when I read your reply. I was born and raised in inner city L.A. (over the hill from the SFV), but I now live in Chatsworth. I too have a hard time not saying "awesome".

reako45

And you guys down there have a funny way of referring to the freeways.

IE - Take the I5 northbound ...

Listening to traffic radio last time I was down at Disneyland just cracked me up.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

How else do you refer to them?

reako45

Hahahaha, true! Takes too much time to say OK lets take the Ventura FRWY then to the Hollyood FRWY to the Long Beach FRWY. Much faster just to say OK take the 134 to the 101 then on to the 710. LOL!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata, dude!

We don't even use the "the" though.

Take 4 to 680 to 80 to 505 to 5

for example.

Much shorter than

Take the 4 to the 680 to the 80 to the 505 to the 5
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Simplification is a good thing. Less is more (except when it comes to snakes).

reako45

That's too funny. Awesome will probably be the last word I say before I die. LOL!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

That is a stunning Cal King!
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Diego

Thanks dude!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Man, that is cool.I am not aware of where calexico Calif is? I know where it is on the border...
L8r

Thanks Shannon,
what surprised me about this king is that it's looks/colors are so different from the norm in that area. The Cals that I've seen in and around Calexico are much darker.

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Very Cool, so where is calexico calif? aside from darkness etc.. do allot of them have that kind of pattern?

L8r

Calexico is down by the Cal/Mexico border off I-8, I think about 5 miles from the border. Not that far from Anza Borrego desert. All the times I've been down there have never seen a Cal king like this one, knew he was a keeper. The ones I have seen were banded and darker in coloration.

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

well yeah, thats what I was saying.Must have been escaped cause that looks nothing like the yumanensis that are around calexico/mexacali border.Thats real close to where my yumanensis came from that I posted below.

Anyway, did you keep that animal?

L8r

Oh yeah I still have him, doubt that he was let go or escaped, but? Could have come across a small area with that coloration and markings. I know here in NM the desert kings I have and have seen (for the most part) are jet black with bright yellow markings. Though about 10 miles away there's a small group of desert kings that are dirty brown with dull yellow markings. That's what struck me so strange about this king, in that area.

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

As the getula GOD of the universe, I am not aware of any wild striped kings in that area (Calexico), so I agree with Shannon that you found an escaped pet. Still, a real cool find. Very lucky, and very cool if it really is natural.

Brian Hubbs

Could be? I've been down to Calexico, Borrego, Brawley and adjacent areas for years, lots of them and never came across a king like this before. All I do know is what I found and where. As for being a captive release, like I said could be? But those are some remote areas, but who knows? Now if I could just have that kind of luck at the lottery!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

well, to quote the immortal "John from Cincinnati," "Some things I know, and some I don't."

ROCKS! I could imagine you road cruising that thing! Wow!

reako45

Thanks! Lady luck was on my side that night. My friend caught a desert rosy boa a few hours before I caught that king, so yeah I was on a high all night long from finding that king.

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

I sure like the looks on that one.Very cool.
Thanks

Thanks Shannon,
You have one killer collection of Cal kings. Nothing, but awesom!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Very nice. I've got one from near there myself. Male or female?

reako45

Very nice looking Cal. Mine is a female and yours? Caught her not too far west from the old Nike missle site.

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Mine is female as well. Caught her while hiking in the Santa Monica Mtns w/ my probation kids.

reako45

I think it's real neat that you are willing to share this hobby with them - big thumbs up
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Funky, it was kinda the other way around. Our probation facility started getting alot of kids from NorCal who'd done time in the camps, and were really knowledgable about California's local herps. I was an activities coordinator there, and consequently, one of our favorite activities became hitting some of the SFV's local herp spots. I was kinda "forced" back into the hobby to keep up w/ them. Glad I was.

reako45

Have you been up to Brown's canyon in Chatsworth? That's a good herp and hiking site.

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Holy Cow! You're kidding right!?! Last year I practically lived up there. Haven't been up there that much this year, but that place is definitely my home away from home when it comes to local herping!

reako45

Loved hitting Brown's Canyon, haven't been there for a few years, but always found it a very cool place to be. Even if I got skunked for the day and caught nothing, it was still a killer place to hike, like climbing down the rocks by the water fall. Small world huh? Late!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Very much, getting them into herps and nature and teaching them to respect both..

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Cool she's awesome (there's that word again) looking!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

Hopefully you'll be able to add some Oregon stock to your collection in the very near future; my female is currently in blue. I'll keep you posted.

Bart

Thanks Bart, please keep me posted.

L8r Shannon

I found this very thinly banded male near Calipatria (Salton Sea) in Imperial County. A real beauty.
Paul

That's a really beauty.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Yeah I thini that Imperial co is cool. IT looks like an eastern HA HA HA!

Was that on the way to Borrego?b What time of year was that?
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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!
"You do not breed them, they breed themselves. That sorta takes you out of the picture. All you become is a poop scooper and cage cleaner"
Frank Retes

Amazing!!!!!!
25 years in Texas since I left San Diego and I can still feel the draw of California!!!!! What a fantastic thread!!!! Thanks guys!!!!

Pat

"Amazing!!!!!!
25 years in Texas since I left San Diego and I can still feel the draw of California!!!!! What a fantastic thread!!!! Thanks guys!!!!

Pat"

I was thinking the same exact thing when i saw that picture. The allure of the salton sea in the backround and the air being perfect. Only in California.

Reminded me of trips to Borrego from a Palm Springs hotel room when i saw that pic.

Sometimes i miss that place.
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ÌÏËÙÍ ËÁÂE!
"You do not breed them, they breed themselves. That sorta takes you out of the picture. All you become is a poop scooper and cage cleaner"
Frank Retes

He was found May of this year. I was actually working at the Salton Sea that week and was staying in Calipatria (a real happening place!). Funny story; I commented to the biologists I was working with (bird guys)that they must see a ton of snakes down here. They both told me 'nope, never see any'. That afternoon I happen on the Cal king and the next morning (while with one the the biologists) came across this guy hunting burrows in a levee:

They were impressed (Coachwhips will do that). As you can see I was thrilled to have found it.
Paul

>>He was found May of this year. I was actually working at the Salton Sea that week and was staying in Calipatria (a real happening place!). Funny story; I commented to the biologists I was working with (bird guys)that they must see a ton of snakes down here. They both told me 'nope, never see any'. >>

Those bird guys always look up in the air and in the trees. The herpetologists are always looking down at the ground. Funny thing is that it was one of those "bird guys" who found the California Mountain Kingsnake climbing trees and robbing bird nests in the San Bernardino Mountains. Perhaps if the snake guys look up in the air more often they will see some really neat stuff once in a while.

>>I found this very thinly banded male near Calipatria (Salton Sea) in Imperial County. A real beauty.
>>Paul
>>

Paul, I love that look! My favorite West Coast king. Are you going to produce any?

Brandon
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www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

Brandon,
My only kings are the Florida's I posted about above. The Cal King was sent on his way (after harassing him for some photos of course).
Thanks,
Paul

Man,that is awesome.You can still see the yuma influence even out west of there normal range.Man I would love to have a few of them.Guess where I will be next spring guys? LOL....

L8r

That's an odd looking King for out that way. Always thought Kings from out there would have wider light bands.

reako45

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Diego

Nice, do love those black and whites!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

wow, that is so killer how it has the shark tooth looking bands.Man they are wide at the bottom.I have to get my hands on some AZ cal kings.I had some from Bagdad years ago.

L8r

Yeah, this guy was found just south of Bagdad. Always been partial to the Kings from that area.
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Diego

...from Kerby.

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Diego

Awesome looking stripers!

Scott D

Hakuna Matata!

If Kerby produced them from animals he got from my buddy Aaron then those animals are directly related to my carlsbad animals.Thats cool man.

L8r

My adults came from Rich Gassaway (1.2) and the other (0.1) came from Brendan. I'm not sure who they were with when they found them, but they were wild caughts. Diego has a pair from those wild-caughts. I no longer have them.

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

Cool, I know Aaron had some wild caughts that he gifted to somebody when he thinned out all his calif natives.I thought maybe he gave them to you.Wel, anyway they are nice looking and all them in carlsbad look about the same.

L8r

Collected in the vicinity of Lake Blvd as neonate in 2004

What I really like about him - is the number of half bands he has. One of his (non locality) sons outdoes him in the half band department, though.

I also like the V nuchal (sp?) spot - most I find have a spot, not a V.

Anyway - a decent shot of his half bands:

Seems to be a small locale. I have 2 males from '04 and both are under 300g. Both readily feed, just not a lot - and I've only found one wild cal king bigger than they currently are.

Additionally - his offspring from '07 are not in the fast growing department. I kept them warm over winter, fed them often, etc. - and they are smaller than other '07 cal kings that I brumated over winter and maintenance fed.

I'm hoping to find a female of this locale.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Hey Funkymonkey, That is a nice looking snake man.Pair it up and breed them true man and stop making more rainer snakes.

Anyway, I like how as you move farther north up the state the thinner the bands get.Have you ever seen any Oregon animals? really thin banded and usually high band count.

Then when you move to the east of there range they also get thinner bands etc..Then when you move further south east you also get the thinner bands.
What about when you head south? man I see a pattern.LOL....
Not really cause I have seen some pretty wide banded animals from San Felipe.

Anyway,Love the real deal locale Cal Kings man.

Here is my pair of Yreka cal kings.This pair is f1 and they were actually picked out of the clutch for there wide white.I actually wish now it went the other way.

this is the male.he is real clean and has real wide white.

here is the female.She has a little yellow on her and she is a little dirty but usually the females are.I am pretty sure she is gravid also.

also, this guy didn't show up on my last post.He is a deli cup locale but I am pretty sure he is of San Felipe decent.This brute is easy 5.5 feet long also.One of the top five for size that I have ever seen.I have never seen a legit 6 foot cal king but I have heard of them.

this is the highest band count cal king I have ever seen.I think it has over 50 easy to its vent.Hubbs? where are you?
and it is locale but I am to keep it to myself for now,sorry.

L8r Shannon

Your Yreka kings don't look that different from Redding kings.
I most certainly am planning to breed the locale - but I'm currently w/o a female.

There may also be a hitch with DF&G - one of my current Cal Kings was imported from Alaska.

When I called F&G to get my permit, they said just include the receipt. But according to Rick Staubs - since it wasn't bred by a DF&G permit holder, DF&G will consider it to be an illegal import and if a warden comes to my home, I may have issues and have to include it in my tally of 4 wild caught. If that's the case, then I can not collect a female Redding.

I hope to get that straightened out with DF&G - personally I think it is bone headed if they really do require snakes bred out of state to be bred by a CA permit holder, and if they really require that, then it may violate free trade laws between states. Why should someone in, say, Texas or Alaska, who is breeding them legally in those states, have to follow California laws to sell them to residents in CA when they are commercially legal in California?

So I have to get that straightened out. If that is the case, I may have to give that girl away before I can collect a locality mate for my boys.

I hope Rick Staub is mistaken, but he is Rick Staub.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Funkyfeet, if he/she lived in Alaska then who could they have a calif propagation permit to begin with? that makes no since at all but thats about par for f&G..

Are you single? your wife,girlfriend etc.. can also have 4
Its a thought?

I'm single.
I really don't think it is an issue.

I was very specific with DF&G about where she came from, both on the form and the initial permit application - and they told me to just include a copy of the receipt.

I'm going to send a letter (so that I hopefully get a letter response for the file drawer) specifically asking.

If they really do take that stance - it's a real bummer because I hope to (in a year or two, depending upon caging) by some tripple het Sonoran gophers from an out of state breeder - and I'd rather they not be homo amel.

I understand them wanting documentation (such as a receipt) that it was imported from another state, but that's all they should need. Reptiles bred in other states and imported have zero impact on california wildlife.

I can understand non commercial species being import forbidden, but commercial - I bet more than half of the non albino cal kings in CA pet stores are imported from other states, simply because it is easier to legally breed them in other states.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

I like the look of that King, dark w/ thin white bands. Very nice.

reako45

That looks like a nice local.

Great looking kings, guys! Here's a few from western Riverside Co. this year.

My favorite was this Newport-Long Beach barred morph. Its the first I've found here in 18 years.

Western Riverside Co.

[url]http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g311/ttyson86/2008 large/032.jpg[/img]

I ain't mr artsy fartsy - but that would IMHO be a print worth having on my herp room wall.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Thanks FunkyRes, it turned out better than I thought it would when I took it.

wow, couple real lookers there man.I really like the third one down with the zipper pattern.And who wouyldn't like that new port phase man.That is killer.

L8r

Thanks shanon. You've some killer looking kings there!

I have two.... top photo is a subadult Saugus male, bottom photo is juvie Malibu Canyon male.

Wow! I love the Saugus specimen! The bands are jagged and look really cool, and the nose is whiter than the rest of the bands.

The vast majority of Cal Kings I've seen, the nose is the same or yellower than the cream bands.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

I like that Malibu Cyn King. Different from others I've seen around there.

reako45

Those are Nice!!!

I saw a pic of a burgundy and yellow banded cal king, where do those come from?

I'm guessing it was a lavender or hypo morph.
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I decided my old sig was too big.

Photoshop?

found this one about 40 miles north of Redding, CA in May

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~~~ Joannie

Here's my guy that I pulled out of my secret not always reliable Cal King spot just a few miles from my house.

reako45

This is the first snake I ever kept as a pet. She's a great girl. She was about 2' when I found her back in 2005.

reako45

Found Apr of this year.

reako45

Those are all very nice. That desert phase is killer!

Thanks, Ross. I absolutely loved this topic.

reako45

Found this little one while roadhunting in 2005:

Third Eye

Wow, that's nice!