These are coastal Cal kings very similar to the Cal kings found in Coastal San Diego County.
Habitat near Tijuana
Ensenada
Playas De Rosarito
From Playas De Rosarito. These two are the same specimen. Click on photos to enlarge.
Tecate
San Matias
San Matias Canyon.
Found near Camalu Baja CA Norte.
These next two specimens were found in Ensenada Co. and appear to be from
an area where Desert and Coastal phases mix.
an area where Desert and Coastal phases mix.
DOR on Mex hwy 1 at San Telmo, Baja CA Norte, May 2015
Baja CA Norte, June 2015
This nearly 50/50 low band count king was found by Tim Warfel.
Here is another population of hypermelanistic kings very similar to the Grease & Yuma king morphs. These are found on a small desert habitat island off the Central East coast of Baja. A special thanks to Ruben Marquez for providing these photos. This was one of two specimens he found out on the crawl during the night in October 2011.
In September 2015 a group of herpers visited the Island of Tortuga and found this juvenile king. This specimen was found by Chris MacDonald on the crawl through lava flow around 7:30/8AM.
Other images of the same snake.
This morph was described by Cope in 1861 as the San Lucan Milksnake, Lampropeltis boylii conjuncta. Scientists early on noted scalation differences between conjuncta and boylii, which is now the banded CA kingsnake. They also noted conjuncta as being smaller, more slender and to have a more elongated head. This morph exhibits a form of hypermelanism similar, but usually to a lesser degree than the Yuma and Long Beach hypermelanistic morphs. Juveniles start out with no dark pigment in the light bands. Some individuals will have more black on the belly than others. This is caused when the white bands don’t reach the center of the belly. How far they reach toward the center of the belly, determines how dark the belly looks. This is evident in hatchlings and doesn’t appear to be sexed linked. From the few examples I’ve seen, the darker areas of the belly are on the last half of the snake. As the snake matures, dark pigment starts to form on the outer edges of the light scales and the light pigment in the head pattern may slowly reduce. Many individuals have an increased amount of light pattern on their heads, like some San Diego banded kings. This may be due to locality. Specimens from the La Paz area and down south seem to the most white pattern on their heads. Some adults develop a dirty grey or brown look to the upper part of their light bands, which is probably a hypermelanistic effect. Juveniles are black and white and normally end up very dark brown and white as adults. The width of the white bands ranges from normal to very thin. In old literature, this morph has been described as being found from Near La Paz to the very southern tip of Baja CA. It has also been found in Mirraflores, where Nitida occurs. I’m assuming because of that, it may also be found throughout Nitida’s range. Dave Long found a specimen in San Ignacio that looks exactly like a conjuncta. Paul Lynum also reports thin banded kings ranging over a hundred miles north of the known conjuncta and nitida range. Thin banded kings are associated with hypermelanistic morphs of this type, so I believe this morph does make it as far north as San Ignacio.
This specimen was found near San Ignacio in 2003 well outside conjunctas range
that was formally described. I believe this falls within conjuncta description and
they range as far north as San Ignacio.
that was formally described. I believe this falls within conjuncta description and
they range as far north as San Ignacio.
These next several photos are captive bred kings described as conjuncta from
Bahia de Los Angeles. As you can see, their head patterns are very similar to
the San Ignacio specimen. In these photos you can clearly see how juveniles
start out with no dark markings between the light scales.
Bahia de Los Angeles. As you can see, their head patterns are very similar to
the San Ignacio specimen. In these photos you can clearly see how juveniles
start out with no dark markings between the light scales.
Some specimens can develop a dirty look to their light bands. This is also common
in Los Angeles County.
in Los Angeles County.
These next 5 pictures are preserved museum specimens collected in the late
1800's in San Lucas Baja CA. Their brown is faded due to them being
preserved for so long.
1800's in San Lucas Baja CA. Their brown is faded due to them being
preserved for so long.
This is the classic conjuncta look. These next several specimens were found
near La Paz. I think all these pictures are of 3 conjuncta.
near La Paz. I think all these pictures are of 3 conjuncta.
DOR juvenile conjuncta
Here is probably the nicest conjuncta I've seen. This individual was found near Las Cruces February 2012.
First described by Cope in 1887 as Ophibolus californiae. Eight years later it was described by Van Denburgh as the Lower California Milk Snake, Lampropeltis nitida. In captivity, this morph dates back to the early 80’s with the late Lloyd Lemke probably being the first breeder to make these available to the public. Very little is known about this morph in the wild other than it is found along side with conjuncta from just south of La Paz to the southern tip of Baja California.
Until now, Nitida has only been known by its striped specimens, but there are other pattern types. Nitida is a highly variable morph, both in pattern and degree of hypermelanism displayed. There are four basic pattern classes, banded, striped, aberrant and patternless. Juveniles seem to always be black. Adults can range from medium brown to very dark brown.
Until now, Nitida has only been known by its striped specimens, but there are other pattern types. Nitida is a highly variable morph, both in pattern and degree of hypermelanism displayed. There are four basic pattern classes, banded, striped, aberrant and patternless. Juveniles seem to always be black. Adults can range from medium brown to very dark brown.
This is the basic Nitida everyone knows. Most specimens in captivity have a clean complete stripe down their back. The stripe can also be more narrow in some places than others. Several breaks in the stripe can be expected as well. The stripe can range from light brown to dark brown, cinnamon and gray. These colors apply to all Nitida pattern types. Some individuals have clean sides and others with a lot of aberrant type patterning on the sides. Sometimes there may even be a very broken 2nd and 3rd stripe high up on the sides.
Here's an albino striped nitida. This is two recessive traits being expressed at
the same time.
the same time.
An adult chocolate brown Striped Nitida with clean sides.
There is a bit of confusion about these. Some, like Hubbs, refer to these as conjuncta, but these are just the banded version of nitida. All other recessive hypermelanistic morphs have the banded version and the striped/aberrant version. There is no available information where the very dark (chocolate morph) form originated, so it is speculation on my part that they are a very dark form of the banded Nitida. The reasons behind this are: 1) No dark forms have been found, as far as I know, in the other two hypermelanistic populations. There is a reduced pattern morph in Los Angeles, but it is just a reduced pattern or a vanishing pattern. 2) The very dark form has an almost solid colored head, which is seen in some Nitida, but not so much in the other hypermelanistic morphs. 3) There are some very dark colored specimens in Markel's 1990 book on Kingsnakes & Milk snakes, that are referred to as Nitida. These extra dark forms are known as the Chocolate morph to Cal king keepers.
Unlike the normal colored Nitida, this form has dark brown masking the light bands. These are commonly known as chocolates. In captivity, chocolate refers to all pattern types that are exceptionally dark, so I will keep it the same with these. As they mature, their markings become less distinguishable and may become nearly patternless. Even as juveniles, their pattern is nearly missing on the upper part of the snake. Its mostly noticeable on the lower sides. This is a very dark form of hypermelanism.
This form can have a very broken stripe or a wavy stripe with dots and dashes mixed throughout. Some specimens may have bands and partial bands mixed with some striping. There may be pattern on the sides or very little to no pattern. The reverse striped pattern found in the Whittier morph seems to be possible in nitida as well. In fact, I believe all three hypermelanistic populations are capable of the same pattern traits. Aberrants are said to be the most commonly found pattern type in the wild.
This aberrant specimen was collected in 1911 at Miraflores. Notice ow the belly
is not solid brown.
is not solid brown.
Wild caught
Habitat near Mirraflores where the above specimen was found.
These are also called the chocolate morph, but have no visible pattern. They are born with no pattern, so they are completely patternless. I'm assuming these also originated from Baja.