But not the GA type. A few friends and I have been selectively breeding wide banded kings from the mid-Atlantic area since disco was in. Of the group only Howie Sherman maintains a collection that traces back to the early years and continues working with animals captured alone an ancient escarpment in VA called Pungo Ridge. I have since moved to working with stock collected alone a similar ridge in Currituck County referred to as Puddin’s Ridge. Despite not being able to line breed the animals such that we consistently produce wide-banded individuals, our observations have revealed a few patterns. These are:
Among wild populations that exist in mature forest (usually low areas), the ratio of wide to narrow banded animals is roughly 3:7.
Among wild populations that exist in altered grassy habitat (usually higher and well drained) the ratio is reversed (7:3) with the wide banded variety much more in evidence.
In captivity it doesn’t really seem to matter whether you breed wide band to wide band, narrow to narrow or cross the two you end up with the same ratio of wide to narrow banded neonates (3:7) as found in more mature environs.
From this I've arrive at two elementary conclusions. First, its only in disturbed and drier habitat that wider banded animals experience any kind of survival advantage and second, that wide bandedness in these populations is an intrinsic component of the population’s variability.
Despite many generations of selective breeding by several breeders, the trait has not been isolated nor has it been exaggerated. Wild animals every bit as nice as the "best" we produce are still routinely captured.
