Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was given a pair of Mexican Black kings last year. I bred them this year and the babies just hatched.
The hatchlings all have a very faint stripe from head to tail leading me to beleive that maybe these are not mexican black kings ( or at least not pure). Is it normal for mexican black kings to have this stripe? Or do you think that these are intergrades (stripe cals x mexican blacks) or maybe melantistic stripe cal kings? The mother is jet black and the father shows a little white speckling on his chin and belly. Neither show any pattern or stripe.

Thanks,
John

It sounds to me like your kingsnake is what used to be called L.g. nitida or the Cape Kingsnake.
They are basically a melanistic striped phase of the cal king that come from Baja California. They come from an area that shows influence of both striped cal kings and mexican black kings. Some individuals retain a faint stripe, others become jet black.
-----
Chris Harrison

I read somewhere that the Mexican black kingsnake did not inhabit Baja. If this is intergrade though what are they calling it now...L.g.california?? Melanistic Cal king?? I do not want to misrepresent these animals when I offer them for sale.
Thanks,
John