In January 2006 I found a nice big area to look for Cal kings in the LA area. This spot was perfect. There was a small dirt road that ran off the main road to this old paved road where a lot of trash was dumped. I found lots of boards scattered around. That day I found no snakes but I knew it was still early in the season and felt I might be able to find Cal kings here in a couple more months.
It wasn't until mid March when I finally found my first king here. The day before
I had found an adult kingsnake in Long Beach, so I thought it was time to come
back here and check these boards.
I had found an adult kingsnake in Long Beach, so I thought it was time to come
back here and check these boards.
What an amazing sight it was to see this very large adult male just laying there under the board photographed above. Although it was only one king I found that day, the visits to this area were starting to pay off. I had been here several times since finding it in Jan. and had only seen lizards up till this point. This king turned out to be a monster for the area. For some reason most of the kings here average around three feet.
It wasn't long after when I found this large female under the same board. On this
day I found 4 kingsnakes at this site. I was amazed because I had never found
that many in one day at a single spot. This was the day I first realized how much
more common or easier it is to find kingsnakes along the coast.
day I found 4 kingsnakes at this site. I was amazed because I had never found
that many in one day at a single spot. This was the day I first realized how much
more common or easier it is to find kingsnakes along the coast.
The little broken piece on the left produced a dark little king. I had never seen
such a dark head pattern on a non hypermelanistic kingsnake.
such a dark head pattern on a non hypermelanistic kingsnake.
In situ
At the time I thought he was hypermelanistic, but later I learned there
are some normal kings with very dark head patterns here in L.A. Co.
This was something I had never experienced in Riverside Co.
are some normal kings with very dark head patterns here in L.A. Co.
This was something I had never experienced in Riverside Co.
One of Hubbs boards found near the dump site. lol
Here is a perfect example of how small the kings are at this location. This was
three average sized adults me and a friend found under two different boards.
three average sized adults me and a friend found under two different boards.
A nice looking female we turned up that day.
Then we found what my friend had really been wanting to see, a Long Beach hypermelanistic king, even though this was not Long Beach. lol I didn't even see it until he reached down and picked it up. It was in the blue, but you can still
noticeably tell tell how different the the pattern is compared to all the other kings posted so far. This is a very good find for the area.
noticeably tell tell how different the the pattern is compared to all the other kings posted so far. This is a very good find for the area.
Cal kings often have broken bands, but this one that was found by my friend here, had many more than normal. Hubbs calls this the broken band morph and they have also been known as zipper kings.
Hear is a closer look at the habitat here in April.
This nice little juvenile also turned up a year later about 30 feet from where I
found him the first time. Here he is as a juvenile in 2009.
found him the first time. Here he is as a juvenile in 2009.
In 2010 I found him under this light piece of insulation. Not what I would consider
a good piece of AC but you would be surprised what you can find kings under.
a good piece of AC but you would be surprised what you can find kings under.
A yearling.
A two year old.
In situ of a nice looking adult found under a large piece of plywood.
Found under black plastic.
Another king found under this board.
Found two juvenile kings here. One under each piece of concrete.
Under the left piece.
Under the right.
Found this adult under a fallen metal street sign right next to a busy road.
A thin banded juvenile found under this concrete.
Here is a two year old I found near the paved road under a thin piece of particle
board.
board.
This board produced one of the coolest looking LA kings I've found. The board
was only laying here about a month.
was only laying here about a month.
This king was awesome. It was almost as light as that cream coffee colored
king I found in San Diego. This was the lightest colored king I had found here in
5 years.
king I found in San Diego. This was the lightest colored king I had found here in
5 years.
A very dark "normal" Cal king. This king may have been hypermelanistic.
Here is a closer shot of the head. The head its self screams hypermelanism, but
not in the overall darkness of the light bands or the belly.
not in the overall darkness of the light bands or the belly.
This male was found under a board with a female that looked very similar except
her bands were tan and slightly narrower. Their head patterns were about just
as dark but it was the yellow rings that set this male from the female. Maybe
this was just a normal king.
her bands were tan and slightly narrower. Their head patterns were about just
as dark but it was the yellow rings that set this male from the female. Maybe
this was just a normal king.
A little closer shot of that male.
Here's the female with the tan bands. I ended up collecting her and bred her to
a Newport from this same area. That is discussed in the captive bred section.
a Newport from this same area. That is discussed in the captive bred section.
A close up of that female.
This Newport was pretty interesting looking. It had a little Scrambled banding, a mostly broken stripe, and the stripe was very wide in some areas. It also had several large diamond shapes on its back. Me entire season reached its highest level of excitement when I flipped this snake. This is exactly what I had been wanting to find for a long time. This was the first Newport I had ever seen in the wild and it was a special one at that because of the unusual Newport pattern. There are no words for how I felt when I first laid my eyes on this snake. I think the pattern on this snake had everything to do with it producing a Scrambled banded.
Here is the male Newport that was bred to the tan banded female. Me and Don
Huffman found this one in May of 2006. Here is a shot of his Nephew holding the snake over the board where we found him.
Huffman found this one in May of 2006. Here is a shot of his Nephew holding the snake over the board where we found him.
The belly pattern was like a banded king's belly pattern but a bit more reduced.
About a week after the Newport, this board produced a very special find. I lifted
it and found a pair of Cal kings. Right away I noticed one was very different
from the other.
it and found a pair of Cal kings. Right away I noticed one was very different
from the other.
It turned out to be an even rarer find than the Newport. It was my first
hypermelanistic kingsnake outside of Long Beach and was even darker than the
ones I had found there.
hypermelanistic kingsnake outside of Long Beach and was even darker than the
ones I had found there.
The belly pattern was very dark.
Here's the female found with him.
In late May temps rose into the 90's, so I stopped checking the boards. In early June things cooled down as June gloom set in. At this time I decided to head back and check the boards one last time. This board looked less than favorable
considering how dry everything was but the coolest king I was yet to find was waiting for me under there.
considering how dry everything was but the coolest king I was yet to find was waiting for me under there.
The Scrambled banded morph. By far the coolest Newport I've ever found.
At first I thought it was a banded king with exceptionally wide yellow bands for the
area. Then I noticed the stripe near the tail and knew right away this was another
Newport. What tripped me out was the pattern. Where was the stripe?
area. Then I noticed the stripe near the tail and knew right away this was another
Newport. What tripped me out was the pattern. Where was the stripe?
Brian Hubbs named these special Newporters the Scrambled banded morph. This morph is considered
pretty rare. I'm just glad I was lucky enough to find one in my lifetime.
pretty rare. I'm just glad I was lucky enough to find one in my lifetime.
This place is literally right in the middle of L.A. My friend told me he had found a king here, I couldn't believe it was so close to home. You can see where the homeless were living under that tree. There was a double sized bed under that tree too. I could even hear them talking under that tree every time I went into that field. Someone had dumped a bunch of roofing material and some old plywood there. I laid out a few pieces of the plywood but never found anything under it. This field I only hit about 3 times because it didn't look good and I was busy with my other spots.
Late in the flipping season, May 5th I believe, I hit this field one last time mostly
out of desperation. I entered from a different side and found this huge piece of
cardboard I had never seen there before.
out of desperation. I entered from a different side and found this huge piece of
cardboard I had never seen there before.
As you can see it was only about 15 feet from the sidewalk. I lifted it and there
was the biggest king I had ever flipped!
was the biggest king I had ever flipped!
Hard to tell in these photos but he was big and measured 44" from nose to vent.
His tail was stumped as far down as it could go. Just like so many times before,
it was an incredible feeling finding a snake in the middle of the city.
His tail was stumped as far down as it could go. Just like so many times before,
it was an incredible feeling finding a snake in the middle of the city.
I kept him long enough to get some photos after he shed. This one turned out
the best.
the best.
In 2007 (copy right date is wrong on photos) we experienced our worst drought
on record. Night driving for me in the high desert was very slow. In September
we had some sever thunder showers develop one day in an area I was a little
familiar with. The sky view doppler showed red over the area which meant
intense rain. I knew if I had a chance at roadcruising any kings there, it would be
that night.
on record. Night driving for me in the high desert was very slow. In September
we had some sever thunder showers develop one day in an area I was a little
familiar with. The sky view doppler showed red over the area which meant
intense rain. I knew if I had a chance at roadcruising any kings there, it would be
that night.
While heading up the 14 I came across this fire that must have been started by
lightning.
lightning.
The sun always looks cool behind smoke from a fire.
I arrived in the high desert before sunfall. There were huge puddles of water
everywhere from all the rain. It was a strange site considering it hadn't rained
like that anywhere all year in LA Co. I checked out a few places I found on
google earth I might want to road cruise, but none of them looked good. Too
much traffic.
everywhere from all the rain. It was a strange site considering it hadn't rained
like that anywhere all year in LA Co. I checked out a few places I found on
google earth I might want to road cruise, but none of them looked good. Too
much traffic.
Luckily I found 2 kingsnakes out there that night and I'm pretty sure it had all to do with the rain considering I had been skunked out there in May and June, the best time of year. This little one was the first one I saw on the road that night.
The second one was an adult male. Seeing this adult out in the road like that
was one heck of a site because I had put so much time into road cruising this
year with out seeing any kingsnakes.
was one heck of a site because I had put so much time into road cruising this
year with out seeing any kingsnakes.
Watching everything unfold online with the severe thunder showers and picking
the right place to go that night, was a very neat experience to say the least.
the right place to go that night, was a very neat experience to say the least.