In late 2005 I heard on Field herp forum Cal kings could still be found in isolated pockets of habitat in the L.A. area. I was very surprised because I was used to herping in Western Riverside County and thought snakes required large areas of habitat to exist. I never would have thought a small field isolated in the middle of this concrete jungle could support a population of kingsnakes. Now it was time for me to find a field that was still in a natural enough state to support kingsnakes, but where would I start? It then dawned on me my friend had told me a long time ago he found a kingsnake in a field by his house. He used to make up all kinds of things so I didn't believe him at the time. I then realized he probably was telling the truth, so I headed out there to see if that field was still there. Not only was it there but there were other fields near by that looked very promising. One of those fields was easy to access, so I walked in and started looking around. The place was in bad need of some AC but I was able to find a few things to look under. It was November 05 so I didn't expect to see anything but to my surprise I found a shed skin of what I'm pretty sure was a baby Cal king under a piece of concrete. I then realized I was in the perfect area.
Just on the other side of that field was another field with scattered AC or trash
that had obviously been dumped there. I then decided to lay some of it out in
hopes of finding something there in the spring.
that had obviously been dumped there. I then decided to lay some of it out in
hopes of finding something there in the spring.
During new years it rained very good for three days strait. Four days later during the first week of January 06 it warmed up to 82 degrees that day. I felt there was a chance of seeing something so I headed out to the old field. I flipped lots of AC but was mostly seeing Fence lizards and Slender Salamanders. I then noticed one of those really wide racing tires they call slicks sitting out in the middle of the field. It didn't look like a very promising thing to look under but I went and checked it out anyway. Before I flipped it I looked down inside it and laying there was an adult Cal king! I couldn't believe it. It was my first L.A. County kingsnake or snake of any kind. I reached down and pulled him out. I was so excited I didn't even notice the lump in his stomach until I viewed these photos later.
After looking him over I realized he was a lot different looking than the kings I
normally find in Riverside Co. There was lots of dark pigment in his over all
head and chin pattern. Besides the way he looked what really made this king
special was the place I found him. I remember the incredible feeling I left there
with that day finding a kingsnake in the middle of the city. From then on it
became an obsession that has lasted 5 years and is in no way getting old to
me yet.
normally find in Riverside Co. There was lots of dark pigment in his over all
head and chin pattern. Besides the way he looked what really made this king
special was the place I found him. I remember the incredible feeling I left there
with that day finding a kingsnake in the middle of the city. From then on it
became an obsession that has lasted 5 years and is in no way getting old to
me yet.
Spring arrived and the old field was in full bloom. Unfortunately this place, I heard,
has been plowed.
has been plowed.
It wasn't until mid March when I found my second king in the old field despite
searching through Jan & Feb. It had remained pretty dry until Mid March when
we got the bulk of our rain for the season. The moisture level in the ground
remained high in a lot of areas through April which is pretty rare. This made for
the best AC flipping season I've ever experienced. It wasn't until years later that
I realized how great of a year 2006 was. Here's the second king in situ under
a small board I laid out that year.
searching through Jan & Feb. It had remained pretty dry until Mid March when
we got the bulk of our rain for the season. The moisture level in the ground
remained high in a lot of areas through April which is pretty rare. This made for
the best AC flipping season I've ever experienced. It wasn't until years later that
I realized how great of a year 2006 was. Here's the second king in situ under
a small board I laid out that year.
I always felt it was possible I might flip a juvenile king under one of these narrow
boards but it turned out to be an adult I turned up one day.
boards but it turned out to be an adult I turned up one day.
The adult.
I was skunked in the old field one nice spring day. It seemed like a perfect April
day but I saw zilch. Outside the main field was a dirt road that ran under a street
bridge in the distance. There seemed to be no more suitable habitat left down
that way but I was desperate after being skunked and thought I would go see
what was down there.
day but I saw zilch. Outside the main field was a dirt road that ran under a street
bridge in the distance. There seemed to be no more suitable habitat left down
that way but I was desperate after being skunked and thought I would go see
what was down there.
I found this sheet of plywood laying in a some grass that would have looked
perfect in the field but not here. I lifted it anyway not expecting anything more
than a Blue belly.
perfect in the field but not here. I lifted it anyway not expecting anything more
than a Blue belly.
I could not believe my eyes when I found this beautiful king underneath. In situ
Now seeing that kings could be found in this area with isolated clumps of
vegetation, I started searching for any kind of AC I could turn over. Directly beneath
the wooden pole with the "E" on it, I found a nice piece of particle board.
vegetation, I started searching for any kind of AC I could turn over. Directly beneath
the wooden pole with the "E" on it, I found a nice piece of particle board.
It was stuck in the ground and broke while I was lifting it.
And underneath was this little king. What an experience it was this day to find
these two kings in an area I never though would have them.
these two kings in an area I never though would have them.
The Oil Field...I found the old field Dec 2005, a month later I found this field I
will call the oil field. I didn't enter it the first time I found it. I saved that for a day
I would be out herping.
will call the oil field. I didn't enter it the first time I found it. I saved that for a day
I would be out herping.
After the new years day rain it rained one more time the night of January 14th.
The next day I went out to the old field but got skunked, I then decided to try
out the oil field and see if there was anything to flip. It was around 4PM, the
sun was getting low and it was getting cold. The day time high that day was in
the low 60's. Being January and cold, I thought there was very little chance of
turning anything up. A few of these pictures are from Spring 09, it wasn't nearly
as green the day I'm talking about.
The next day I went out to the old field but got skunked, I then decided to try
out the oil field and see if there was anything to flip. It was around 4PM, the
sun was getting low and it was getting cold. The day time high that day was in
the low 60's. Being January and cold, I thought there was very little chance of
turning anything up. A few of these pictures are from Spring 09, it wasn't nearly
as green the day I'm talking about.
I was a little worried about entering the field because it was fenced in but there
were no signs. I didn't want to get arrested but figured if worse came to worse,
they would just kick me out of there and tell me to never return. I did hesitate
before going in. lol I then thought to my self if I don't take a chance I might miss
out on finding something good. Thats just me and I don't recommend others to
fallow in my direction. There was a part of the fence that was pulled back and it
looked like people had been going in and out of there, I figured it was homeless
people. I then entered the field, boy was it a strange feeling being in there by my
self. What made it feel strange was the noises coming from the old oil pumps
as they pumped. It felt like a scene from a scary movie. I thought at any second
some worker would yell "hey, what are you doing in here". lol Yeah I was a little
paranoid but not enough to leave.
were no signs. I didn't want to get arrested but figured if worse came to worse,
they would just kick me out of there and tell me to never return. I did hesitate
before going in. lol I then thought to my self if I don't take a chance I might miss
out on finding something good. Thats just me and I don't recommend others to
fallow in my direction. There was a part of the fence that was pulled back and it
looked like people had been going in and out of there, I figured it was homeless
people. I then entered the field, boy was it a strange feeling being in there by my
self. What made it feel strange was the noises coming from the old oil pumps
as they pumped. It felt like a scene from a scary movie. I thought at any second
some worker would yell "hey, what are you doing in here". lol Yeah I was a little
paranoid but not enough to leave.
I stayed and flipped every bit of AC I could find. There were big piles of dirt and
junk. It looked like they had scraped the field with bulldozers. I took some boards
I found in these piles and laid them out. I also found other boards laid out like
herpers had been there. I found lots of stuff to flip but wasn't even finding lizards.
The last thing I went to check out was an old Palm tree trunk laying over. I tried
to roll it but it was too heavy. I then found a few pieces of bark that would be my
last items to check under. In the picture below is my snake stick leaning up
against the fallen Palm tree, next to it you can see the three pieces of bark. A big
piece on the right with two smaller ones on the left.
junk. It looked like they had scraped the field with bulldozers. I took some boards
I found in these piles and laid them out. I also found other boards laid out like
herpers had been there. I found lots of stuff to flip but wasn't even finding lizards.
The last thing I went to check out was an old Palm tree trunk laying over. I tried
to roll it but it was too heavy. I then found a few pieces of bark that would be my
last items to check under. In the picture below is my snake stick leaning up
against the fallen Palm tree, next to it you can see the three pieces of bark. A big
piece on the right with two smaller ones on the left.
As I lift up one of the small pieces I see this little dark snake quickly disappearing into the leaf litter under the bark. I quickly grabbed it and pulled it out to see what it was. It was a juvenile kingsnake and the darkest looking king I had ever seen. I knew right away it must have been one of those hyper-melanistic kingsnakes Hubbs was telling me about. Because I am into the kings, this was one of the coolest snakes I had ever found.
Here he is as a young adult. His inner yellow rings don't have that dark look
typical of hypermelanistic kings. However, the dark look does show up in his
head, chin and belly pattern.
typical of hypermelanistic kings. However, the dark look does show up in his
head, chin and belly pattern.
I continued visiting the oil field for the next 3 months with no luck. I was starting
to wonder if I found the last king. lol On April-22nd I finally found my second
king. It was a tiny yoy (young of the year). I found it under this board which was
a piece of an old boat someone must have dumped here before the fence
went up.
to wonder if I found the last king. lol On April-22nd I finally found my second
king. It was a tiny yoy (young of the year). I found it under this board which was
a piece of an old boat someone must have dumped here before the fence
went up.
This snake didn't have the same darkness in the head the first king had but its
bands were very thin.
bands were very thin.
Kind of hard to tell in the sun, but this female had darkened considerably in her
light bands up top. She's the only hypermelanistic kings I've seen in LA do this,
although I think Hubbs has one like this also and his is also a medium brown.
This reminds me of what's seen in cunjuncta.
light bands up top. She's the only hypermelanistic kings I've seen in LA do this,
although I think Hubbs has one like this also and his is also a medium brown.
This reminds me of what's seen in cunjuncta.
The very next day on Sunday, I returned.
This board which was not what I would consider a good board, produced my 3rd
and final king of the year here.
and final king of the year here.
Like the others, this one had very thin bands and a dark head pattern. I couldn't
believe after 3 months of nothing, I find two kings here over one weekend. Later
I was to find out other herpers were hitting this spot and kingsnakes don't show
up here in numbers. it turns out this is a very special field that produces more
hyper-melanistic kings than other areas.
believe after 3 months of nothing, I find two kings here over one weekend. Later
I was to find out other herpers were hitting this spot and kingsnakes don't show
up here in numbers. it turns out this is a very special field that produces more
hyper-melanistic kings than other areas.
I returned in the Spring of 2010 and found a little female under this piece of
Palm tree bark.
Palm tree bark.
Considering it was my only visit in years, I got pretty lucky this day. We get
skunked in this field most of the time.
skunked in this field most of the time.
Here's some additional 2009 photos of the Oil field.
In June 2012 me and my friend headed over to the old oil field and discovered the place where I found my first kingsnake here was turned into a community garden. It also appears they are getting ready to build a park or something on the top part of the hill. Now the roads in here are open, so we drove way back into the field where there were lots of abandoned buildings before. All those buildings have now been removed and it appears they are clearing everything out on that side of the block. We just happened to see a fresh DOR Gopher snake this day as well. We thought it was odd seeing that considering how little traffic there is in there.
The mustard has completely taken over the field now, but at least its not that real
thick kind that gets 7' high.
thick kind that gets 7' high.
Spring of 2017 Marked the end of the Grease king field. It would now be
converted to Willow Springs park.
converted to Willow Springs park.