Thought I would share some trends I've noticed about Eastern Kings that may be worth discussing since there ARE notable differences in pattern. Through 20 plus years of collecting I have noticed that COASTAL Eastern Kings found from North Carolina to the extreme North Eastern tip of Florida have much wider bands than their inland counterparts. Some of the real wide banded individuals also display partial mosaic traits. BUT: It is also interesting to note that I have found (very few) E. kings with real thin bands as close as 5 miles from the coastal areas (so you don't have to head all the way to the mountains or New Jersey to find thin bands,lol). But generally speaking, if you want wide bands, head for the coastal marshes and you'll always find some; Which brings me to an important topic:
There are actually a couple of INLAND areas that has E. Kings with fairly wide bands: Extreme S. Central GA. and an area near the Appalachicola NF. Why is this? I think it's because many years ago we had a higher water level in the ocean. A deeper ocean could have influenced S. central E. Kings to have bands like their eastern coastal cousins, because they were then near coastal areas many thousands of years ago (when goinis where stranded on that giant island called ANF - which could be more proof that goinis WHERE isolated by an ocean). What I am saying is that a part of S.central GA. was also once close to the ocean (especially the area called Okeefenokee swamp and adjacent areas). What do you all think?
Here is a pic of one of those COASTAL wide banded eastern: A male Eastern found in the coastal marshes of the South East.
Thanks for reading/and your thoughts
Zee
