I'd like to add here that I recently found out of another black splendida being found about 15 miles outside of Lubbock, TX. it wasn't 100% black... had a few small yellow flecks on the throat and chin, but i'd be comfortable saying it was 97% black. looked like what i would call a "B-grade MBK", but it came from rural TX so the chance of it being a displaced MBK are incredibly slim.

i was talking about my black splendida at snake days and got to see a pic of one somebody caught years ago.

so they are out there... might be rare, but the black/ melanistic/ hyper-melanistic kings do pop up all over the place.