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Chad_KS and I visited the Ozark region on Thursday. For simplicity, I'll post Chad's description from another forum and add pictures as I get them downloaded:

Went to central Missouri today with kcmatt and we were in search of any herps we could find with an emphasis on a pretty black and white Missouri Speckled Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus holbrooki). We started off late from K.C. and headed down to the ozark region. We went to an area I have had much success with all three Lampropeltis species native to the area.
On the way down, we found an adult Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoleta) under a board. We went a while without anymore notable finds, until we hit the area of our destination. Under a huge piece of metal, I found an adult Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) and then Matt spotted another nearly patternless (as is common in Missouri) calligaster's tail as it went under the tin we just flipped. We took some pics of these two and then released them and were on our way, rejuvinated after a herp dry spell. On we went to my next site. Once we arive, Matt and I started flipping and under a large piece of styraphone we found another adult ratsnake. After this we hunted on and came to some tins. Under the first tin was an adult Speckled Kingsnake! We were very excited as this was the first we had seen this year, and Matt's first ever. We hunted on and then I found another holbrooki under a car hood.

We soon came to a pile of splash boxes where an extremely nice adult Red Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila) had been found before. As I was telling Matt this, we flipped another sub-adult syspila that was also very attractive. It sat in the space between two boxes with a third covering it. We were excited after this point so we pushed on to the next spot after a lengthy photosession.

Upon arriving at the first spot, Matt flipped another holbrooki, this time a two year old juvenile. We hunted on together at this spot and we came to a shoe box-sized piece of rusted tin and I flipped it not expecting anything. Under this tin to our amazment were two HUGE adult holbrooki and another HUGE adult calligaster. After another photosession Matt found another calligaster. We went to one more spot and videotaped the discovery of another adult calligaster. This was a great day for Missouri and we saw various other herps that will be listed below. It was a blast.

5- holbrooki
5- calligaster
1- syspila
2- P. obsoleta
tmtc- D. punctatus arnyi (prairie ringneck)
4- Eumeces fasciatus
1- Sceloporous undulatus ( I think off the top of my head)
2- Scincilla lateralis
1 Terrepene carolina

NT

Sorry for the definite lack of natural setting...

..with a very red head

One of THREE lampropeltis over 3 feet under a small tin (one other holbrooki and a calligaster).

Nice snakes, and nice pics! Congrats, and thanks for sharing.

Our holbrookis here (central OK, not too far away) tend more toward yellowish speckles (vs. white or cream), and almost always show at least a faint vestige of a blotched pattern. They're considered speckled/desert intergrades here. The largest I've seen was just shy of 4 feet. I've only seen a few calligasters around here, but all have been overwhelmingly blotched with virtually no sign of the striping that seems to show up more as you get farther N or E.

Were the obsoletas you saw adults, and if so, were they black or did they show the blotching? They're all patterned here to some degree, with blotching even on the scales of larger adults. But that's probably the intergrade thing again; o. obsoleta and o. lindhiemerri overlap here.
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MichaelB

The obsoletas were both large adults and they were both jet black although we do see specimens that retain their blotching. Thanks for the comments.

Great looking snake. I love calligaster. I hope Kansas treats me to that many calligaster when i'm up there in a few weeks.
-Scott Wahlberg
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The yellow jester does not play.But gentle pulls the strings.And smiles as the puppets dance.In the court of the crimson king.

AIM-Lgholbrooki

Scott@texassnakes.net

Hy kcmatt. My name is Tommy Helms what part of the ozarks did you go to. I live in the ozark region and have found only one speckled and one prarie king. Well i have found more but they where DOR. Any way have you ever had any trouble with farmers trying to kill you because you where rescuing the herps from their land. I just had a guy threaten my with a shot gun because i was in (what he says was his creek). He gave me 15 minuts to capture as many water snakes as i could and if i was not gone i the 15 minuts he was going to shoot me and my snakes. One of the water snakes had already been shot with a BB gun and atacked with an axe. I have just got a garter snake out of the same creek which has been grabed and slamed into the bridge. I am only 16 and was skipping school with parents permison. Who should i contact. My parents dont know what he said because they would never let me go back and I just have to get as many snakes out of there as i can.
Thanks Tommy Helms

Farms were a key, but not worth getting shot over--I would stick with safe lands--perhaps trying to educate some of the landowners and getting permission in the process.

You see i was driven down a gravel road and stoped at a bridge that i have stoped at hundreds of times with no troble and then this guy shows up and started threaten me. I have also had people shoot at me when i was on government land photographing snakes. I think the next time i have trouble with the guy i will try talking a little more. The shot gun kinda scared me because if he was for real I had no cover.
Tommy H