During the spring of 2007 I made my first trip to San Diego Co. in hopes of finding my first San Diego striped king. I had found striped kings in Riverside but they are a little different in San Diego. The most noticeable differences are in their belly patterns and S.D. striped kings tend to have spotting on the side instead of aberrant markings you commonly see in Riverside Co. I looked through google earth and found a nice looking area that I was hoping I could find some cover objects to look under. Here is the area I visited on my first day.
I found very little cover to look under at this site. I walked around a little over an
hour until I found this old cardboard box on my way out. It was the last piece of
AC (artificial cover) I found in this field. I lifted it and to my surprise was my first
San Diego striped kingsnake!
hour until I found this old cardboard box on my way out. It was the last piece of
AC (artificial cover) I found in this field. I lifted it and to my surprise was my first
San Diego striped kingsnake!
I couldn't believe it was that easy. They are not very hard to find in this area if you know what you are doing but I had no boardlines and was only able to scout out the area by satellite photos and hope there was some kind of AC there to look under.
Right across the street from the field where I found the striper was another field,
so I went and checked it out. There were a lot of boards in this field but there
was nothing under any of them. After about an hour I made my way to the far end
of the field.
so I went and checked it out. There were a lot of boards in this field but there
was nothing under any of them. After about an hour I made my way to the far end
of the field.
Just like in the first field, this black tarp was the last good thing I found to look
under. I peeled it back with my snake stick and reveled the nicest looking coastal
banded Cal king I had ever seen in the wild up to this point.
under. I peeled it back with my snake stick and reveled the nicest looking coastal
banded Cal king I had ever seen in the wild up to this point.
Ironically he was about the same size as the striped king. What really stood out to me was the wide yellow bands. I had found desert phase Cal kings with white bands as wide as this but never a coastal. The reason for that is because wide
banded coastal's don't exist or are very rare where I normally look for snakes in Riverside and L.A. County. Coastal is a name given to Southern CA kingsnakes with yellow and brown bands. They are found along the coast from just north of
Ventura Co. to Northern Baja CA. They are found inland throughout Western Riverside Co. and San Diego County west of the desesrt. Hubbs doesn't use "Coastal" and "Desert" phase in his book, but I do because its been in use for so long.
banded coastal's don't exist or are very rare where I normally look for snakes in Riverside and L.A. County. Coastal is a name given to Southern CA kingsnakes with yellow and brown bands. They are found along the coast from just north of
Ventura Co. to Northern Baja CA. They are found inland throughout Western Riverside Co. and San Diego County west of the desesrt. Hubbs doesn't use "Coastal" and "Desert" phase in his book, but I do because its been in use for so long.
Here is a better picture of him. Needless to say, I went home very happy that
day and there is nothing like scouting out places on your own and finding these
amazing snakes without being lead the way.
day and there is nothing like scouting out places on your own and finding these
amazing snakes without being lead the way.
A sub adult about in the blue as it gets.
Later on another trip back to San Diego I found this little spot where there had
been a house at one time. I parked and walked around and found a bunch of
boards laying all over. I later learned this was a well known spot by other field
herpers in the area.
been a house at one time. I parked and walked around and found a bunch of
boards laying all over. I later learned this was a well known spot by other field
herpers in the area.
This was the only king I managed to find at that spot. It looked perfect for kings
but all I could ever find was helleri and Gopher snakes. This king was laying
under a flat piece of concrete. I just wonder if a lot of kingsnakes had been
collected from this area because it was perfect habitat for them and this was the
only one I found out of about 8 visits that spring.
but all I could ever find was helleri and Gopher snakes. This king was laying
under a flat piece of concrete. I just wonder if a lot of kingsnakes had been
collected from this area because it was perfect habitat for them and this was the
only one I found out of about 8 visits that spring.
Later on I met up with a fellow herper Matt McCarthy who really had his stuff
together and showed me a bunch of Cal kings. Here are a few we seen together.
together and showed me a bunch of Cal kings. Here are a few we seen together.
There's a cool story behind this king. I was waiting at one of Matt's boardlines
for him, he called and let me know it would be another 30 minutes, So I decided
to walk around the area and see what I could find. By chance I ran into what
looked like an old boardline. I flipped the boards and found this nice little yearling.
He was much nicer in person. When Matt finally arrived, I showed him the spot
and he said he had never seen it before. That area was so big, it doesn't
surprise me.
for him, he called and let me know it would be another 30 minutes, So I decided
to walk around the area and see what I could find. By chance I ran into what
looked like an old boardline. I flipped the boards and found this nice little yearling.
He was much nicer in person. When Matt finally arrived, I showed him the spot
and he said he had never seen it before. That area was so big, it doesn't
surprise me.
A juvenile Matt found under concrete.
We thought this one was dead at first but it was just partially buried.
Here was a nice adult Matt flipped.
It was really neat seeing these striped kings and how easy they were to find
compared to all my spots in Riverside co. My experience herping with Matt was a
great one and I could never thank him enough for trusting me with the boardlines
he took me too.
compared to all my spots in Riverside co. My experience herping with Matt was a
great one and I could never thank him enough for trusting me with the boardlines
he took me too.
On this day four snakes were found at a site I found with the aid of google earth.
I was able to find a Ring neck, a S.D. Gopher, and two very nice kingsnakes.
This one had nice wide yellow bands like the juvenile I found about a week
earlier.
I was able to find a Ring neck, a S.D. Gopher, and two very nice kingsnakes.
This one had nice wide yellow bands like the juvenile I found about a week
earlier.
There were lots of boards but hardly any of them produced. This board on the
other hand was magical because when I lifted it, my eyes almost popped out of
my head!
other hand was magical because when I lifted it, my eyes almost popped out of
my head!
When I lifted the board I couldn't believe my eyes. I had always wanted to find one of these extremely light kings, which are not very common, but on this day I considered my self very lucky. I was in awe over this snake. It was one of the
most beautiful Cal kings I had ever seen and a large adult at that.
most beautiful Cal kings I had ever seen and a large adult at that.
The head pattern really added to the beauty of this snake. To this day I still have
not seen a king with a head pattern this nice in the wild. This is definitely one of
the coolest morphs you will find in San Diego County. The Mocha banded morph
is a name I gave this snake. I think Hubbs cals it a light brown and yellow morph,
which I feel doesn't distinguish it from other coastals
not seen a king with a head pattern this nice in the wild. This is definitely one of
the coolest morphs you will find in San Diego County. The Mocha banded morph
is a name I gave this snake. I think Hubbs cals it a light brown and yellow morph,
which I feel doesn't distinguish it from other coastals
After spring passed and conditions became too dry to find kings under cover, I
began road cruising out in the desert of San Diego County in search of black and
white desert phase kingsnakes. Not all of these kings were found in 2007.
began road cruising out in the desert of San Diego County in search of black and
white desert phase kingsnakes. Not all of these kings were found in 2007.
Here is a nice juvenile I found one September night. There is nothing like seeing a black and white Cal king in the road. Those white rings really stick out and with a little experience, you can tell the difference between a king and a Long nosed. The kings always have more white rings than the Long nosed.
I was surprised at the cream colored bands on this DOR. They actually look a
little whiter in the picture but they were way off from all the other kings I had found
in this area. Just goes to show how much variation is out there.
little whiter in the picture but they were way off from all the other kings I had found
in this area. Just goes to show how much variation is out there.
This little one was found one night when I was leaving after not seeing anything
for 2 hours. You never know when or where they are going to be.
for 2 hours. You never know when or where they are going to be.
One night in May I was driving through my normal stretch of road. I noticed an
on coming vehicle in the distance getting closer and closer when all the sudden
I pass right by a king in the on coming lane! Luckily I was able to stop in time
and pull the snake off the road before the car passed. This small adult female
turned out to be one of the nicer looking kings I found out there that year.
on coming vehicle in the distance getting closer and closer when all the sudden
I pass right by a king in the on coming lane! Luckily I was able to stop in time
and pull the snake off the road before the car passed. This small adult female
turned out to be one of the nicer looking kings I found out there that year.
One night on the way home my buddy and I came up on a fresh DOR kingsnake.
I was amazed with the extremely wide white bands on this specimen, so I took
it home to get some photos. Too bad it was dead, it would have been the coolest
desert phase Cal king I saw in San Diego County.
I was amazed with the extremely wide white bands on this specimen, so I took
it home to get some photos. Too bad it was dead, it would have been the coolest
desert phase Cal king I saw in San Diego County.
This was another DOR banded king with an odd belly pattern. In my opinion,
this is caused by striped x banded influence. All aberrant kings are the result of
striped and banded patterns mixing up in the same snake. There are many more
pure banded and pure striped kings than aberrants. For some reason, every
now and then, a striped king will have the banded pattern making its way
through.This is what results in the stripes being replaced with dots, dashes,
and bars. The bars leave no doubt its banding influence showing through. A
lot of striped kings have solid light colored bellies and its clear that is what's
coming through on this snake.
this is caused by striped x banded influence. All aberrant kings are the result of
striped and banded patterns mixing up in the same snake. There are many more
pure banded and pure striped kings than aberrants. For some reason, every
now and then, a striped king will have the banded pattern making its way
through.This is what results in the stripes being replaced with dots, dashes,
and bars. The bars leave no doubt its banding influence showing through. A
lot of striped kings have solid light colored bellies and its clear that is what's
coming through on this snake.