Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I found an odd king last night around sunset, in the desert near Tucson, AZ. He's about 3 feet long, very dark and has a faint splendida pattern under the black. The pattern is very blotchy in some areas. I live in an area where splendida, californiae, and nigritus can intergrade. Maybe an intergrade?
Any help appreciated. Greg

nm

Definitely a kingsnake

That chin further reinforces the three way intergrade idea.

It has the underside/chin of a cal king, the dorsal pattern of a splendida, and the melanism and head shape of a nigritus.

Nice snake.
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Chris Harrison

Looking at the head and pattern, I'd say it looks more like some kind of ratsnake. But I can't think of a ratsnake that occurs that far west, other then a green ratsnake.

I saw a little ratsnake resemblance (blotchy pattern, long head) as well when i first saw it. But when I looked at the head and the pattern more closely, it is definitely a king. Has a single anal plate as well, where rats have a divided one I believe.

After seeing that pic of the chin, I can see that I was definitely off track. Cool looking snake, regardless.

Almost every kingsnake you find in the Tucson area is an intergrade. "Yuma" King type intergrades are the most common, but I have seen splendida looking snakes just south of Tucson and nigrita looking snakes just south as well.

That snake is probably an intergrade showing more nigrita influence than most. I have seen a few jet black kings from north of the border, but most have some faint splendida pattern underlying the black.

FWIW - Technically, a nigrita can have a faint splendida pattern. In much of their range they actually retain a faint pattern, although in captivity we tend to prefer completely black snakes and have bred for that trait.
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Chris Harrison

It's a black king. Many wild so-called Mexican Black Kingsnakes start life with a pattern much like a dim Desert King, darkening as they age. The captive populations of Black Kings are typically black at hatch, but that's likely the result of cherry-picking breeders over many generations. Many, if not most, "Black Kings" from southern Arizona have traces of pattern. It's likely that "Black" and "Desert" kings are not valid taxonomic distinctions, but expressions of a broad range of genetic potential over the whole geographic distribution of the group. Why some populations seem to express a piece of the whole expressive potential is still unknown, but they are not reproductively isolated in nature, and it's unlikely the snakes notice color variations when selecting mates. You could say they "intergrade", although if they are truly all just one species, that's like saying a redhead and a brunette "intergrade".

Looks like an MBK mixed with something else to me ^_^ Looks very cool whatever it is, thats for sure.
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0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake (Elysia)

Thanks for all of the replies. I'm going to assume it is a natural three way intergrade. I can see the influence of splendida, californiae, and nigrita. Seems to be pretty heavy on the nigrita.

very cool definately can see influences from the 3 ssp. of getula that occur in that area(splendida,cali,nigritus),,very,very cool and a nice find!congrats!
thomas davis

ITs a "Speedwayensis" Thats your typical local Arizona kingsnake, around tucson you can find banded, blotched, splendida type patterns and all combinations of them. Thats why they were coined, Speedwayensis way back in the sixties.

Actually around the cemetery on Oracle, theres black kings.

I live in Tucson and have herped here since the mid-sixties. Good luck Frank