There are two color morphs generally recognized ? the "blairs" morph and the "alterna" morph. It has been said that no two "alterna" look alike, and that is probably not far from the truth! In fact, it was thought that there were two different species of kingsnake living in West Texas because there was so much variability. In fact, the genus name Lampropeltis is derived from Latin words meaning "shiny shield." Like other members of the kingsnake and milk snake genus, the gray-banded kingsnake is covered by smooth, glossy scales that give the animal the appearance of being waxed and shiny. In Texas, it can be encountered predominately west of the Pecos River, as well as the Chihuahaun Desert areas of Del Rio. The gray-banded kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna) is a shiny and colorful snake that occurs from extreme Southern New Mexico (the Guadalupe Mountains) southward to eastern Durango, Mexico. Even today, I spend several nights every summer walking alongside the back roads of West Texas, searching for the elusive and extremely variable gray-banded kingsnake, also known simply in the herpetological world as "alterna." I remember telling myself that I would someday look for, and find on my own, one of these remarkable animals. I vividly recall the first time I saw in person a species of kingsnake that has captivated me from that moment on. That opportunity eventually came while in junior high while I was a budding child naturalist interning at the Abilene Zoo.
I could not wait until the day that I was able to see one in person. I still remember the first time that I saw a photograph of what I considered to be one of the most beautiful colored snakes on the planet.
More often than not, these books would be about the group of reptiles that elicit fear in most folks: the snakes. As a child growing up long before the Internet age, I remember spending hours in the library reading various nature books.
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