Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted a few amels recently and Jason was asking about the deal on these..... They are some kind of integrate, but what and what is in question. Considering the locale and the look, I personally think they are San Diego x Sonoran. I know that's a huge stretch because the Sonoran range ends - or is supposed to, pretty far south-east of where these originated, but I've seen a photo and heard two accounts of Sonorans being collected in the same canyons. From what I've seen and heard, this is what works for me but I dont know for sure.
Some also have that bi-color look of Great Basins...... Who's range is also way far out.
What I do know is that I really dig these and think they are super cool looking - the normals and the amels.

First up are my young adults;

Here is yearly het. This female was very hypo looking with a weird green hue when I first got her and one of her clutch mates is completely patternless - a stunning animal for sure.

Let me know what you think....

Thanks for looking.

byron.d

I have been eyeing your "yorba linda gophers" for some time. They have always struck me as mis-identified. Let me elaborate:

#1) I have collected well over 60 gophers in Yorba Linda, back in the day, for sales outside of CA. I had a boardline behind a church that produced well for me. None looked like yours

#2) If you go 10 miles in any direction from your collection point the gophers will all look very similar and will look like standard SD gophers. This leads to believe some man-made condition has occurred.

Here is what I suspect happened. Someone bred albino Sonorans, yet did not have the California breeder's permit to sell the hets or poss hets. They lived in or near enough to Yorba Linda to know the habitat. They then released the hets into this region. Some time later you collect your animals. Obviously I think they seem very Sonoran X San Diego to make these statements.

This is simply an idea, a guess really and I have no science to back it up. Just a few thoughts from a fellow Pit lover!

No matter what your animals are cool. Nice looking indeed. I hope the bloodline remains pure (as it is).

FWIW, the same Church produced 46 helleri one February morning!
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

I agree with what you said and think your theory of their origin is very probable. The fact that the amel gene is in the mix makes me think these may very well have been started by an escaped / released captive.
Someone who posts here said he saw a very applegate looking amel SD that was said to have been found in that area. This snake was a hatchling and was found nearly 20 years ago.

I too have seen nothing but very normal looking SD gophers in that area - and in the miles of habitat surrounding it.

All of my animals came from the person that collected the gravid female that produced an amel in the clutch - starting a captive line of these. This person named them Yorba Linda gophers - knowing they're not pure SD. I call them YL's cause I'm in no position to change it.

As I said in my first post, I do believe there were Sonorans collected in that area - whether released CB or not I dont know, but I have a great story about that and saw a photo of one collected there.

Now let's talk about those 46 helleri!!!!!! I almost fell out of my chair when I read that. I know they're thick there but that is just mind blowing!

Thanks for the input.

byron.d

Someone who posts here said he saw a very applegate looking amel SD that was said to have been found in that area. This snake was a hatchling and was found nearly 20 years ago.

An Applegate gopher is an albino of what I call a "red gopher". I HAVE collected one of those in Yorba Linda!

I also collected one in Tonner Canyon and in San Dimas. I'd say I saw three out of over 500 gophers I collected in a ten year span in the 80's.

Red Gophers are cool!
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AMAZON REPTILE CENTER

Byron, whatever the mix going on w/ these snakes is, there is no denying that they are beauties! I tend to agree w/ Amazonreptile's theory that there is some sort of Sonoran mixed in there. It turned out for the best. They rock.

reako45

Whatever they are - I love 'em.

Thanks.

byron.d

Whatever they are they are beauties!
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