WANTED: Field collector in SoCal!

[Pink Lady Exotics]

I am looking for a herper/field collector in the Southern California area -- San Diego, Orange County, Carlsbad, etc. -- that can track down and obtain a specific locale of California kingsnake for me. I do realize it is winter and they are all brumating, but when the spring comes around and they begin waking up, I would like to try to start searching for my project animals. I have been on a fruitless search for striped coastal phase Cali kings, which are the chocolate brown and yellow variety. I'm just not finding any on the market whatsoever -- not even banded coastals. I used to have a rare pure Carlsbad coastal pair with perfect stripes, and unfortunately lost them when I lost my collection a few years ago. This was the pair I had:

The chocolate and yellow variety are mostly found in coastal areas and areas with more vegetation, but can be found occasionally in sandy/rocky areas. Coastals are not as common out there as desert phases (black/white and black/cream), and are apparently not that common in the hobby as I guess there is less demand for them. But I have always liked them and I'm hoping to get lucky in finding a few. Here are a few more pics of what I am looking for:

I am looking for both genders, any ages/sizes. The striping does not have to be unbroken, and doesn't have to run the whole length of the body. Abberant is OK, just prefer if at least half of it is striped. The cleaner the sides are, the better (like in the pics). I may potentially be interested in a banded animal if it has rich chocolate coloring with bright lemon yellow markings. I also may be interested in a black animal if it too has bright lemon yellow markings (striped only in this case, no bandeds). No off-whites or creams, yellow markings only. If you are interested in doing this scout work, I will compensate you for your time and cover all shipping expenses. If you can manage to track down a really nice specimen or even a Carlsbad locale like the ones I used to have above, I will DEFINITELY provide appropriate compensation. If interested, please reply here, PM me, or e-mail me at [email protected] . Thanks!

 

[Protoplasmicpete]

It is illegal to capture and sell California Kings in Ca.

Anyone who does so is poaching and anyone who buys them is smuggling as well as poaching.

 

[Pink Lady Exotics]

Wow. I didn't know that. I guess that nixes that.

But then I have to ask, where do all these other people get coastals, deserts, lavendars, blue-eyed blondes, hypos, chocolates, stripes, wide stripes, bananas, Carlsbad and San Diego locales, etc? All the founding animals for these variations were captured in the wild. I know at least 2 people that have specific locales that no one else has, and neither live in California.

 

[mrlloyd]

they probably lie and say they were captive bred

 

[garweft]

Or collected before the laws were in place.

 

[amtz.zero]

You can get a permit from California F&G to captive breed and sell native reptiles. So in order to do this, you'd need to have a fish and game license to capture the original pair (you can only have two of any one species) then get the separate permit to breed and sell the offspring. It's not too hard, just make sure that you're doing everything legally.

 

[mattsreptiles]

Typical. Everyone knocking on the illegal laws. Look up there state laws and look for the allowed bag limit by species. Email fish and game and see if they will permit you or the collector to sell the species in a small number to produce captive animals. Most will allow it for a small permit fee. There is always a loop hole.

 

[WolfPaw]

For the ones your looking for you would have to go north of San Diego and Carlsbad. Costal San Diego and San Clementy (this includes Carlsbad) are currently not allowed to be collected even with a permit. The only exception are resurch permits that must be gained through a university for the purpose of studying wild snakes. The permit laws on collecting them now state snakes in the San Diego county of the kingsnake varity may not be collected west of the I-5. Its unlikly to find them east of the I-5 as you move away fom the coast variety.

 

[WolfPaw]

Oh PS i live out in the Borrago Desert and often go herping in the summer. If there is any high desert variety you're looking for let me know and i will keep an eye out.

 

[RossCA]

For the ones your looking for you would have to go north of San Diego and Carlsbad. Costal San Diego and San Clementy (this includes Carlsbad) are currently not allowed to be collected even with a permit. The only exception are resurch permits that must be gained through a university for the purpose of studying wild snakes. The permit laws on collecting them now state snakes in the San Diego county of the kingsnake varity may not be collected west of the I-5. Its unlikly to find them east of the I-5 as you move away fom the coast variety.

No, you are thinking about the CA Mountain kingsnake not the CA kingsnake. CA kingsnakes can be collected in all the areas you mention. This thread is full of misinformation.

 

[RossCA]

Wow. I didn't know that. I guess that nixes that.

But then I have to ask, where do all these other people get coastals, deserts, lavendars, blue-eyed blondes, hypos, chocolates, stripes, wide stripes, bananas, Carlsbad and San Diego locales, etc? All the founding animals for these variations were captured in the wild. I know at least 2 people that have specific locales that no one else has, and neither live in California.

The way they do it legally is by getting a breeders permit so they can legally sell the offspring from their wild caught snakes. And just so that you know, the coastal variety is much more common than the desert variety because the coastal habitat is more favorable for CA kingsnakes. The desert phase blk & wht is more common in captivity because most people prefer blk & wht over yellow & brown. Look for a guy named Shannon Brown. He sells different locales of CA kingsnakes and might be able to help you if you are still looking.

 

[Pink Lady Exotics]

I already contacted Shannon, he does not have this variation of coastal Cali king. I contacted Kerby Ross, who I originally bought my pair from, and he doesn't work with them anymore. I contacted someone else on another popular classifieds site that listed coastals for sale, but they are like Shannons and are cream and black, not the true coastal variety like what I want.

So thus far, I'm still SOL, and no luck in any field collecting offers either. I may be going out to San Diego in August and may just have to go herping myself and ship them home. :/

 

[WolfPaw]

Bewarerly of shipping out of sate with wild caught animals unless you have the proper permits. And from what Cal Fish and Game locally has told me (I live is San Diego) it is not legal to collect coastly variety anymore. I was out for lizards not snakes when a warned told me this. You can "catch" and breed but the wild animals themselves can not be sold. Getting a permit right now for sipping and breeding takes a few weeks at lest with the latest budget cuts.

 

[Pink Lady Exotics]

How would anyone know if the animals I were shipping were wild caught vs. captive bred? SYR protocols call for the box to be labeled with species name and common name, nothing about captivity status.

I will call my friend in LA and see if she can get a definitive answer on the legality of collecting these animals.

 

[RossCA]

I already contacted Shannon, he does not have this variation of coastal Cali king. I contacted Kerby Ross, who I originally bought my pair from, and he doesn't work with them anymore. I contacted someone else on another popular classifieds site that listed coastals for sale, but they are like Shannons and are cream and black, not the true coastal variety like what I want.

So thus far, I'm still SOL, and no luck in any field collecting offers either. I may be going out to San Diego in August and may just have to go herping myself and ship them home. :/

Did you know most juvenile coastal Cal kings start off cream & black, then change to yellow and brown as adults?

 

[Pink Lady Exotics]

In the locale lines I am looking for, they do not. They are bright lemon yellow and rich chocolate brown from the moment they hatch. The ones I had (pictured above) were hatchlings when those pics were taken, and all their siblings were identical. That is what I'm looking for.

 

[RossCA]

Bewarerly of shipping out of sate with wild caught animals unless you have the proper permits. And from what Cal Fish and Game locally has told me (I live is San Diego) it is not legal to collect coastly variety anymore. I was out for lizards not snakes when a warned told me this. You can "catch" and breed but the wild animals themselves can not be sold. Getting a permit right now for sipping and breeding takes a few weeks at lest with the latest budget cuts.

You can't legally collect California "mountain" kingsnakes in San Diego but you can legally collect up to 4 Common California kingsnakes anywhere in CA with a fishing license. I guarantee you were giving false information about not being able to collect coastal brown and yellow Cal kings.

 

[RossCA]

In the locale lines I am looking for, they do not. They are bright lemon yellow and rich chocolate brown from the moment they hatch. The ones I had (pictured above) were hatchlings when those pics were taken, and all their siblings were identical. That is what I'm looking for.

Yes, I know there are some that come out that way but most don't. If that's exactly what you are looking for, you will probably be looking for a long time. Too bad you don't live here, I could take you to go find them but not in August. They are not out during that month.

 

[Pink Lady Exotics]

I don't mind waiting for the perfect snakes. I want a pair like what I had, so it's worth waiting for.

 

[RossCA]

If I see any adds with stripers like that, I'll let you know.