While there can be intergrades, There has been nothing provided to indicate that. I have asked for any information that could determine this.
The only criteria so far has been color and pattern. Which is not a valid criteria when determining species, subspecies etc.
To prove intergration would need such criteria as scale counts, etc. And or, molecular evidence. And none of that, nothing, zero is being considered. Only color and pattern.
The reality with kings is, you can observe intermedia patterns in all locals over the whole range. More in some places then others. This is why I call it a petshop approach of deli cup approach. Its only about color and how WE perceive them in captivity. If you take Cal kings in SoCal, your have banded, stripes, black, newporters and everything inbetween, even speckled types. Yet, there is no intergration, its all pattern types. So why would ours in south central AZ. be any different? there is no difference in structure, scalation, or otherwise. They are all the same, except for a mess of colors and patterns. If that indicates intergration, then they would be intergrating with all the known kingsnake types across the entire range.
That these intermediates pop up across the entire range of kings, means that getula has a wide genotype that can express many color and pattern types. Without the need to outbreed. Best wishes

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