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Three years ago I collected my first Aransas Co., TX Splendida. I noticed that it had more yellow/cream speckles than your average Splendida. It almost looked Holbrooki to me as it was an intergrade. So...over the last two years I found a male Aransas Co. specimen and a pair of Nueces Co., TX intergrades. And to make it better Todd (antelope) found a nice Calhoun Co., TX intergrade. Then, lo and behold he found some eggs in Calhoun Co. near the spot the adult Desert/Speck was located. I bred my two pairs and got eggs from each female and was given the chance to incubate Todd's wild collected eggs. 60 days later or so all three clutches are hatched (the Aransas specimens are in the process).
In the following pics you can see different amounts of Holbrooki influence with more being from the northern most county (Calhoun). The southern most county out of the three is Nueces Co. These Nueces Co. specimens showed the least amount of Holbrooki influence, but it is certainly visible.
And, since the Aransas Co. eggs started to hatch I can see a definite correlation of Holbrooki influence decreasing as you travel south in Texas.
What I still wonder is were are the pure forms of Splendida to the south. Where do they begin??? Also...where area does the intergration stop to the north. Where is the southern most point that pure Holbrooki are located? I know where pure forms are found, but have yet to figure out where intergration stops and purity begins.
And with a lot of help from my bud Todd....I think some time soon we may figure it out.
This may not be interesting to some, but it is the field herper side of me rearing its head.....LOL
Here are the pics.....in this order- Aransas, Calhoun and Nueces.
Thanks for looking...
John Lassiter

....is always good....place to start!

Im sayn ck the heads...westerns have a neck & a blunt broad snout....true specs east have the eastern no-neck/shorthead-pointed snout morph

Good info I have not thought about. I thank you.
Come to think of it my Nueces Co. specimens do have a blunt looking nose......

Also....Don't you think the head pattern or lack there is an indication of intergration. I know true Splendida have no specks on their heads (I know there may be exceptions). All the specimens in my collection have different amounts of speckles on their heads.
None are solid black or sockheaded......
Thanks again,
John Lassiter
Here is a shot of my dark Nueces Co.,TX Male....

John,
I have two pairs of F2 snakes from Jim Hogg county (around Hebbronville). They do not have the side coloration of pure splendida but their dorsal pattern is more splendida than holbrooki. These back up your thoughts about the influence being greater from splendida as you go Souith. Sadly I have no camara but I probably can bring one to the expo in August for you to see. Tim Cole has just hatched eggs from intergades found in either Travis or Williamson county. I've not seen them so I don't know how they compare. He also hatched a clutch from El Paso of "pure" splendida.
Pat

Great Pat...I would love to see them. I wonder if Tim will bring his....I gotta call him or email him.
I bet the Travis or Williamson County hatchlings are more Holbrooki -like. I really like the Holbrooki from the Harris County area or Galveston area....I love the bright yellow/orange speckles. I hope the Calhoun Co. hatchlings get as bright as Todd's adult from the same area....If not, they are still nice IMHO..
Does your Jim Hogg pairs have solid black heads?

And yes....Those El Paso Splendida are awesome and have to be pure since there is nothing to intergrade with that far west in Texas.
I would love to see an albino El Paso Splendida....Now there's my morph/breeder side talking now........LOL

Thanks for the info as well Pat,
See ya in Austin in month or so.....1 week after Daytona.
John Lassiter