Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First three pics is my new addition I just picked up. An 08 male Cal. king. Love his Yellow bands on a chocolate brown ground color.
Last pic is one I picked up several months back from Dave Niles. A nice black & white cal. king. An 09 male. Thanks for looking. Steve

Steve,

That top one has a happy face on the back of his head.

The Black & White is really sharp. I still remember seeing "Desert Phase" Cal Kings at a dealer's place 20 years ago and being impressed at how sharp they look. That high contrast look never gets old.

Tim

Thanks Tim. I've been in the past more into easterns and some of the other getula, but Cal. kings just amazing with how much variation they have. These are the only two Cal. kings I've ever had, and I'm really enjoying these snakes. What took me so long to get one? LOL
Tim, when you take your herp trips out west, do you find a good amount of Cal. Kings? Or more Pituophis and other types of snakes?Steve

>>That top one has a happy face on the back of his head.
The Black & White is really sharp. I still remember seeing "Desert Phase" Cal Kings at a dealer's place 20 years ago and being impressed at how sharp they look. That high contrast look never gets old

Steve,

In Vegas I've found only a couple Cal Kings and only one Gopher Snake. In California I'd say Gopher Snakes are the most commonly seen snake - I found five this year and the weather was lousy. I didn't see any Cal Kings, but usually find one on each visit to CA.

From what I understand Cal Kings can be somewhat common and highly variable in the south part of the Golden State, outside of cities, where there's plenty of artificial cover (junk that people discard in open areas).

Tim

Young Vegas-area Cal King found while roadhunting a couple years ago:

Third Eye

What gorgeous cal kings you have!

They are both incredible. The chocolate/yellow one is very similar to ones I hatched out long ago. Those types are still very dear to me and my absolute faves, and seeing those pics makes me wish I would have kept some!

Your desert cal king is also smoking!! I see a lot of deserts that have more white than black or almost all white, rather than straight out actual 50/50s or more black then white, and this one you have is such a prime example of the ultimate desert phase with hi black. To myself, something like this is really unique looking.

Like you said, aren't they amazing at how much they can vary?

Thanks for sharing!
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Genesis 1:1

Steve,

Great looking cal kings man. That black and white animal is looking good - glad she is doing well for you.

Dave
DNS Reptiles

Nice snake Steve, I love the brown and yellow Coastals more than the black and white deserts so good choice! you might like the brown and white banded Cals also.

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0.1 Bull- Northern
1.0 Bull- TX Red
0.1 Bull- KS Yellow
1.1 Bulls- Red X Yellow
1.0 Bull- Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
1.1 Pines- Carolina Northerns (M from NC, F from SC)
1.1 Ratsnakes- Black, Henderson Co. NC
1.1 Kings- Black Easterns (L.g.nigra) Todd Co. KY
1.2 Kings- Coastal CA
1.1 Kings- Eastern Chain (M from Union Co. NC & F from NC)
1.1 Kings- Gray Banded 'Blair's'
1.1 Kings- Speckled, Harris Co. TX
1.0 Boa- Hogg Island
1.2 Pythons- Ball