Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First off, I'd love to see everyones pics of their Prairie Kings. Everything from locality to non-locality animals. I've been wanting one of these under rated kings for a while, and I'm happy to say I have one on order. I'll post pics in a few days. Interesting how hard it is on the classifieds to find a nice normal prairie king.
Thanks to the photos from Phil & Brian, I know some of the Kentucky populations have their own specific look, but what about other localities? Do the Calligaster in Texas tend to have a specific look, or are they very diverse populations in the Lone star State? What about Kansas, Oklahama, and other states that are in their range? Also, what localities have some of the largest Prairie Kings? Or how about the smallest? Thanks in advance.
Steve

Hello Steve, its great to hear someone bringing up L.c.calligaster on here. Hopefully one of our compadres will post some pics from the western part of the range. In the mean time a few pics from Ky. This is an adult female from Hardin county.

A yearling found two miles away from the first snake.

This gravid female was found under a billboard that had fell down in a hay field in Edmonson county. We have noticed that adult females of this snake have a higher tendency of retaining the juvenile blotching than males.

Here is an example of an adult male from Jefferson county. This snake was 4' and a new quarter quad record. This snake represents the most eastern population of calligaster known.

I think the western calligaster are more attractive as in higher contrast as adults. Seems the largest specimens are found in the east though. Will and I documented a new record size for this species this year at 56.25" in Edmonson county Ky.
Phil

Excellent field shots as always. Beautiful Prairie Kings. That's interesting that Jefferson co. is the eastern most locality for Prairie Kings. And females tend to retain better contrast into adulthood then males? I did not know that.
The link below has a shaded map located on the Kentucky snakes page. Would you consider that yellow shaded map pretty much right on target for Calligastor's range in Ky.? Have you had any sucess finding Prairie Kings in that white area, within the yellow, starting with Union county, Henderson, Daviess, Hancock, and going south a few counties? Thanks.

Steve
Link

Thanks Steve, yes I would consider that range map to be fairly accurate. There are some geographical features that have much to do with calligasters range in Ky. In Jefferson county we found prairie kings on the north side of the salt river. This is near its confluence with the Ohio river and it is a fairly imposing obstacle at this point. The salt river serves as the border of the county lines separating Hardin and Jefferson so its interesting that at some point calligaster found their way across the river. Within a mile or so from where this population lives is the start of the Knobs. The Knobs is a range of wooded hills maybe 1000' or so in elevation that is great snake habitat in general, but poor habitat for calligaster. They do not seem to penetrate east of this point. The area you mentioned in northwestern Ky (Union, Henderson, McClean counties..etc) is the region known as the western coal field. This area is predominately lowland country with river swamps and that sort of thing and is it too is poor habitat for prairies so that is why they are absent from that sizable area. Black kings do well there though. Phil

Do the Calligaster in Texas tend to have a specific look, or are they very diverse populations in the Lone star State?

Here's a fairly typical young adult from Grimes county, Texas (about 100 miles NE of Houston).

I have seen dozens of snakes from the west side of Houston that looked the same.
Adults are a little less contrasty, but they don't turn brown like the ones further east and north.

Also, what localities have some of the largest Prairie Kings?

I have seen calligaster up to around 40 inches in southeastern Texas. I think they are somewhat smaller here than in the eastern parts of their range.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Great picture, and just the information I was looking for on Prairie Kings in Tx.

Steve