Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am really confused about Mex-mex, greeri and thayeri. How do I know which of these my little gray and red "variable" king is? Are these distinct sub-species? I was sort of thinking that she might someday be the mate to my orange and peach male Thayeri. Is that cross inappropriate (ie would the off spring be hybrids? or do the color patterns breed true and shouldn't be mixed?) I see pictures of each of the above that look a lot like my snake.

Can you post a picture? Mexicana subspecies can be hard to identify. Thayeri or "Variable" kings are named variable for a reason, they can look many different ways. You wouldn't get "hybrids" from crossing these snakes because they are all the same species (Lampropeltis mexicana). You would get an intergrade between subspecies that may or may not exist in the wild.

The Mexicana complexis just that very complex.In my opinion the Alterna should be in this complex still.(Greybanded Kings). Some people are confused with all of these common names given to the Mexican kings since sometimes a Thayeri (Nuevo Leon King or Thayer's King) is grey with red to orange saddles. Greeri (Durango Mt. King or Greer's King) are most often grey with red saddles except for some of the light phased animals and very dark animals. Then there is the Mex-Mex (Mexicana Mexicana or San Luis Potosi king) that have a grey base color with red saddles. There is one more Mexicana that is from Queretaro, Mexico. called the Ruthven's kingsnake or the Queretaro King or properly Ruthveni. I believe the only true intergrade is in the southern portion of San Luis Potosi where the Mex Mex look more milksnake like than the classic Mex Mex due to the intergration with Queretaro kingsnakes.
All in all a picture would be best to classify your species, but the best way to refer to the Mexicana group is in their scientific names (Alterna, Mexicana, Ruthveni, Greeri and Thayeri). As for that all snakes should be refered to in this since. There are too many common or coloquial (sp?) names given to all species of snakes. I don't know how many times that an old guy has called an Drymarchon (Indigo) a kingsnake and a Pituophis (Bull, Pine or Gopher) a ratsnake. I am just tired of everyone calling a Greeri, Thayeri, or Mexicana Mexicana a greybanded king when in fact I believe the Alterna to have coined that name long ago.
Thanks,
John Lassiter
Here is my favorite San Luis Potosi (Mexicana Mexicana)