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Posted by: Ameron at Wed Mar 4 11:48:39 2015 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Ameron ] [ Follow this user in ConnectedByPets ]
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In his seminal work, Common Kingsnakes, Brian Hubbs mentions the Highway Stripe morph and details their likely range based on collections. He shows both northern San Diego and western Riverside counties, but most of his collections were in coastal grasslands near Carlsbad or Del Mar, or foothills on the eastern slopes near Lake Elsinore.

Back in the 1980s when I lived in SoCal, I hiked local canyons of the Santa Ana mountains: Christianitos, Modjeska, Silverado, Trabuco. Also south-facing canyons along the Ortega Highway (one had a creek with tree frogs & newts).

I was never lucky enough to see king snakes at that time when in the canyons, and I’m curious. Are the Highway Stripe variety found in these riparian canyons, or are mostly banded snakes found instead?

Don in Portland, OR

1.0 Pantherophis guttatus (Tallahassee locale)
1.0 Pantherophis obsoleta quadrivittata
1.0 Lampropeltis getula californiae

Below is my Photobucket link with photos of my snake and his 40-gallon vivarium.
Link

holy moly, I hunted Silverado and Trabuco canyons a lot in the late fifties and early sixties. Also lake Elsinore area.
I am not sure what your calling a highway striped king, But, I found my first striped kings between Silverado and Trabuco, also northeast of lake elsinore. I think it was called Aberhill. There was mostly aberrants there, but a few stripers.
Thanks for the post, thems some old days.
And I do not read Hubbs books, and only because he makes me buy them. I am serious, he comes to my door and will not leave until I buy a dang book. He was here last week. I am still getiing over it.

It was in the 1980s, in my 20s, but I also remember those canyons well. At the time, I had a Rocky Mountain bias (raised in ID & MT), so it took me a while to appreciate what the chaparral biome had to offer.

I hope that many of those places were preserved, along with San Mateo canyon.

I enjoyed your story about Brian Hubbs and his visits. You are lucky to be in the same area and share the hobby. I know few herpers here, and none who actively hike the outdoors, so I can't share the camaraderie with two such herper Old Ones. I'd love to join you some lazy Sunday afternoon to share stories of the road.

Say hello to Brian when you next see him! (;

" I do not read Hubbs books, and only because he makes me buy them. I am serious, he comes to my door and will not leave until I buy a dang book. He was here last week. I am still getting over it."

You are still getting over it? LOL!

I wonder where he learned his marketing skills? Hmmmmm...

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FR quote:
"Doing the same things over and over expecting to learn something else, is the definition of insanity"