California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae)

Created: October 10th, 2018 - 01:43 AM
Last Modified: October 10th, 2018 - 01:43 AM Entered by: Will Flaxington
Record 310824

Country: United States		State: California	County: Imperial County	Time: 2018-10-03 19:57:00
Qty: 1	Age: Sub-Adult	Sex: --	Method: Road cruising	Habitat: Agricultural Landscape
Body Temperature: -----		Air Temperature: 82.00F	Ground Temperature: -----	Humidity: -----
Sky Conditions: Variable		Moon Phase: -----	Elevation: -30.00ft	Barometric Pressure: -----

Notes

Found following tropical depression Rosa. Lighting flashing all around.

Vouchers

Comments

Posted by Jeff Teel on Oct 16, 2018 at 12:51 PM

Will, thanks for the notes! I found a king on the exit ramp of I-10 on Hwy.78 that was full on Yuma phase-(an adult freshly hit) for me, that's as far north I know of Yuma kings. I'm sure they extend North of Blythe a little ways as "yuma" kings. I have seen pics of them from near Parker-(one from the Chemehuevi Mtns. South end) that was a black and white. In Blythe, kings from ranges on both sides-(Dome Rocks to the east and Mule Mtns. Palo Verde Mtns. to the west) seem to be black and whites and in the valley they are Yuma phase. I saw a pic of 2 kings copulating taken by a non herper at Oxbow Campground, 1 was Yuma phase and 1 more black and white. Interesting area for kings.

Posted by Will Flaxington on Oct 10, 2018 at 11:41 PM

I haven't found any at Parker. However, in 1991, I found one beside the Colorado River at Lake Havasu, and that was a clearly a standard black-and-white banded individual; clearly not Yuma phase. No hint of Yuma phase at all.

Posted by Will Flaxington on Oct 10, 2018 at 11:33 PM

I started out late Friday (Oct. 2), racing through Anza-Borrego with only Glossy Snakes (AOR 2), Sidewinder (AOR 1), and Banded Gecko (AOR 1). Late that night I reached my destination at Winterhaven. Road cruised only a few Rio Grande Leopard Frog, and night-walked a few Hemidactylus and a coiled, resting atrox. Next, morning (Oct. 3; 6-9 am) I flipped a few sleeping lizards (Sceloporus, Hemidactylus, Uta, and Asidoscelis). With seemingly ideal boards, situated over very damp earth, during humid-cloudy AM weather, I was very disappointed with the results. Decided to spend the day at the river, driving home later that night. On the way, decided to drive the canals by Seeley, found a few Rio Grande Leopard Frogs, Gopher Snake, and the one Kingsnake. After the king (@ 7:57 pm), I kept searching, but nothing else was found. Matter fact, nothing else was found during the entire drive back home.

Posted by Jeff Teel on Oct 10, 2018 at 12:07 PM

Brian, have you ever found any near Parker, and if so, were they "Yuma" phase?

Posted by Brian Hinds-AKA Fundad on Oct 10, 2018 at 07:44 AM

Nice. I cruised the river near parker after the rain, unsuccessfully.

Posted by Jeff Teel on Oct 10, 2018 at 02:55 AM

Very cool! I was out looking for these on 10-2-18, great wind and humidity was still high but the clouds moved out. I did see an adult gopher, 3 adults and 1 juvie atrox in the area I was trying for these-(I've seen the kings there) plus lots of toads and bullfrogs. I bet that king you saw turns much darker as it ages. Very cool find, I love seeing pics of kings from these areas.

Posted by Will Flaxington on Oct 10, 2018 at 02:03 AM

Thanks, i'm happy to have finally found one, but its not as dark as I hoped. The bands are gray, yet look very white in the picture; found by night-driving canals.

Posted by Jeff Nordland on Oct 10, 2018 at 01:44 AM

Great job Will - you found a Yuma king!