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Found this Kingsnake in SE Arizona 3 days ago.

Found it on pretty much open ground (lots of gravel-dirt mix) among dry washes/creosote bush/smaller mesquite trees, basically in between Highway 80 and the eastern border of the Pedregosa Mountains.

Obviously it isn't the Desert Kingsnake or Mexican Black Kingsnake. It would seem to me it comes closest to being a Sonoran Mountain Kingsnake, but I've never heard of one having any red inside the creamish colored bands, but rather usually red bands bordered by solid black bands.

I found one in the past (Superstition Mountains East of the Greater Phoenix area) similar in cream/black coloring, but it had no red whatsoever inside the cream bands. It did have red speckling inside the black saddles but less of it compared to the redness within the cream bands of this specimen. The belly on that one was solid cream (some might call it a dull yellowish) colored.

Anyway, I'm at a loss as to what Subspecies of Kingsnake (Common or Mountain) it is. Thoughts?

BTW, sorry in advance for no pics of the belly. I never took any, and I released it right after finding and taking the pics I got of it so I don't have the snake to take any more pics.

The specimen in the pics is approximately 12-13 inches long.

PS - Does color alone not determine a subspecies?

That's not a Kingsnake. It's a Long-nosed Snake(Rhinocheilus lecontei), which is primarily a lizard-eating species.
Long-Nosed Snake

Yep, definitely a Longnosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei). They can be extremely variable.
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thank you both very much for your help!

I feel like a complete bonehead being that 1 month ago today I caught a Long-Nosed Snake, which I had figured out on my own was a Long-Nosed Snake, approximately 50 miles as the crow flies to the NNW from where I caught the one you both identified for me.

As for pattern variation, you aren't kidding! Since you were both so helpful, I want to share the pics with you both of the one I caught a month ago to compare to the one I caught 3 days ago that you both just identified for me. I'll put up pics of both right here so you can see a direct side by side comparison.

Seeing a pretty fair contrast between the two, it makes me wonder how many different color phases there are within a one hundred mile range of where I am. Now I also realize the one I found in the Superstition Mountains years ago was a Long-Nosed snake too, and not a Kingsnake, which was also entirely different patterning yet.

Thanks again for all your help!

LOL! Yep, cool examples....and thanks for the pics.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

You bet! I'm dumbfounded it went right over my head in the first place that it was another Long-Noses snake. No doubt I'll pay more attention in the future.

Take Care.