Alterna Collecting Records
One of our favorite things to do each spring is to travel to West Texas in search of Gray-banded Kingsnakes. In fact, we now live only an hour away from the nearest known alterna locality, and chasing these beautiful desert serpents is something that we can now enjoy on any given weekend. Below, I've listed collecting details on each of the alterna that Marla & I have encountered over the years. I've omitted photos of DOR specimens, but have included descriptions of those animals.
| # | Date | Location | Notes |
Photo |
| 1. | 06/16/87 | TX: Val Verde Co; 9 mi N of Baker's Crossing on Tx 163 | found Dead on Road (DOR), dark blair's male |
20" dark blairs, muddy orange |
| 2. | 06/17/87 | TX: Val Verde Co; 4.3 mi N of Baker's Crossing on Tx 163 | a young male found Alive on Road (AOR) at 0050 hrs. 82 degrees F; Troy, Toby, & Terry Hibbitts |
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| 3. | 06/17/87 | TX: Val Verde Co; 1.1 mi W of Shumla picnic area on US 90 | DOR male, too badly mangled to preserve; no photo |
40" dark blairs, average orang |
| 4. | 06/17/87 | TX: Val Verde Co; 6.4 mi N of Langtry on Pandale dirt road | a dark phase gravid female AOR at 2115 hours (dusk). 90 degrees F; laid 5 eggs on 07/24/87; Troy, Toby, & Terry Hibbitts |
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| 5. | 07/17/87 | TX: Jeff Davis Co; ca. 2 mi S jct fm 1832 on Tx 17 | DOR female, just been hit |
25" dark alterna, very busy pattern, diamond-shaped blotches |
| 6. | 07/16/91 | TX: Val Verde Co; 0.2 mi N of Loma Alta on US 277 | ~3ft male AOR, light alterna phase found at 2120 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 7. | 08/04/91 | TX: Terrell Co; 9 mi N of Sanderson on US 285 | 18" female found on cut while walking, 2215 hours; found by Troy |
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| 8. | 05/28/92 | TX: Brewster Co; 6.1 mi NW of La Linda on fm 2627 | ovulating female found AOR at 2214 hours, 72 degrees F; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 9. | 06/04/92 | TX: Presidio Co; 4.6 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 | 18" male AOR at 0210 hours; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 10. | 06/29/92 | TX: Val Verde Co; 1.8 mi N of Baker's Crossing on Tx 163 | adult male AOR at 2240 hours; barely on road, got into grass and almost lost him; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 11. | 06/30/92 | TX: Val Verde Co; 8.8 mi S jct fm 189 on Tx 163 | light phase blair's male AOR at 0805 hours - had apparently been hit by car in early a.m., but survived; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 12. | 07/25/92 | TX: Terrell Co; 7.4 mi N of Sanderson on US 285 | very flat DOR, papery dry |
narrow banded blairs, high band count, very light |
| 13. | 07/08/93 | TX: Brewster Co; 6.8 mi NW of La Linda on fm 2627 | 30" male AOR at 2320 hrs, full moon had just come up; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 14. | 07/10/93 | TX: Terrell Co; 2.8 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 | a 14" female found on cut by Marla while walking at 0030 hours, full moon had just come up; found by Marla |
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| 15. | 05/21/94 | TX: Val Verde Co; Dollen Creek Road, W of Loma Alta | a 30" female found on hillside along road while walking at ~2230; found by Troy |
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| 16. | 06/04/94 | TX: Terrell Co; 3.2 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 | 26" male black alterna morph found on cut at ~0130 hrs (walking); found by Troy |
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| 17. | 06/12/94 | TX: Terrell Co; 7.2 mi E of Sanderson on US 90 | 20" male unattractive blairs found while walking cut at 0420 hrs; found by Troy |
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| 18. | 06/01/95 | TX: Brewster Co; 22.9 mi NW of La Linda on fm 2627 | 16" male found AOR at 0155 hrs; beautiful dark blairs; Troy Hibbitts |
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| 19. | 06/22/95 | TX: Terrell Co; 4.0 mi N jct fm 2400 on Tx 349 | 12" dark blair's female found while walking towards road cut in gravel near road; 2300 hrs; found by Troy |
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| 20. | 06/25/95 | TX: Terrell Co; 2.6 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 | 20" dark blair's male found on cut at 0115 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts; spotted by Troy |
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| 21. | 06/25/95 | TX: Terrell Co; 2.4 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 | 28" stunning light phase alterna female AOR at 0120 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 22. | 06/01/97 | TX: Presidio Co; 10.7 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 | 26" buckskin blair's male found AOR at 0246 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 23. | 06/07/97 | TX: Presidio Co; 2.3 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 | 28" silver and black alterna morph female AOR at 0340 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 24. | 06/07/97 | TX: Presidio Co; 8.0 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 | 20" alterna male found AOR at 2244 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 25. | 06/08/97 | TX: Presidio Co; 2.9 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 | 28" speckled male found AOR at 0051 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 26. | 06/08/97 | TX: Jeff Davis Co; 7.6 mi NE of Ft. Davis on Tx 17 | 28" light alterna male found DOR |
light alterna morph, speckled neck |
| 27. | 06/11/99 | TX: Terrell Co; on Fm 2400, 1.5 mi W jct TX 349 | 32" light phase alterna female found on cut at 0327 hrs; ovulating; spotted by Troy |
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| 28. | 06/11/99 | TX: Terrell Co; on Fm 2400, 1.5 mi W jct TX 349 | 38" light phase blairs male found on cut at 0405 hrs; same exact spot as female above; Troy Hibbitts |
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| 29. | 07/10/99 | TX: Presidio Co; 2.0 mi W of the Top of the Big Hill on Fm 170 | 32" light-to-medium phase alterna female AOR at 2252 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 30. | 08/03/99 | TX: Terrell Co; on Fm 2400, 11 mi W jct Tx 349 | 20" screaming light phase blairs male on cut at 0050 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts; spotted by Troy |
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| 31. | 07/02/00 | TX: Brewster Co; on Fm 2627, 3.0 mi NW of La Linda | 28" dark phase alterna morph male, with 16 orange bowties and extensive white AOR at 0010 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts |
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| 32. | 05/20/01 | TX: Brewster Co; on FM 2627, 10.7 mi NW of La Linda | 10" medium to dark phase blair's morph female with 17 clean orange bands and a few alternates, found on cut at 0325 hrs; Troy Hibbitts & Kenny Wray; spotted by Kenny Wray |
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| 33. | 06/23/01 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 90, 0.3 mi E of Pecos River Bridge | 24" medium phase blairs male with good orange, at bottom of cut at 0152 hrs;Troy & Robert Hibbitts; Spotted by Robert |
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| 34. | 5/24/03 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 0.2 mi N of Loma Alta | 13" light muddy-orange blairs male on cut at ~0100 hrs; Troy Hibbitts & Kenny Wray; Spotted by Kenny Wray |
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| 35. | 5/25/03 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 12.8 mi S of Loma Alta | 25" light blairs male, DOR |
light blairs, muddy but bright orange |
| 36. | 5/25/03 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 9.0 mi S of Loma Alta | 30" silver and black alterna male w/stub tail - on cut at 2332 hrs;Troy Hibbitts & Kenny Wray; spotted by Troy |
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| 37. | 5/25/03 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 10.1 mi S of Loma Alta | 32" black-headed light blairs on cut at 2338 hrs; Troy Hibbitts & Kenny Wray; spotted by Troy |
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| 38. | 6/28/03 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 1.8 mi N of Loma Alta | 24" silvery light alterna female on cut at 0147 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts; spotted by Marla |
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| 39. | 6/12/04 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 4.5 mi S of Loma Alta | 33" ovulating female on cut at 2120 hrs; spotted by Troy |
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| 40. | 7/03/05 | TX: Jeff Davis Co; on TX 118, 2.2 mi NW jct TX 17 | 30" female alterna on cut at 2308 hrs; spotted by Troy |
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| 41. | 7/26/05 | TX: Brewster Co; on TX 118, 5.4 mi S of Alpine | juv male alterna phase on cut at 2249 hrs found by Marla |
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| 42. | 8/01/05 | TX: Brewster Co; on TX 118, 9.1 mi N jct fm 170 | juv male alterna phase on cut at 0321 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts; spotted by Troy |
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| 43. | 8/03/05 | TX: Brewster Co; on TX 118, 5.4 mi S of Alpine | juv female alterna phase found on cut at 2229 hrs; found by Marla |
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| 44. | 8/03/05 | TX: Jeff Davis Co; on TX 118, 2.4 mi NW jct TX 17 | juv female heavily speckled alterna found on cut at 2300 hrs; spotted by Troy |
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| 45. | 8/26/05 | TX: Brewster Co; on TX 118, 5.9 mi S of Alpine | juv male alterna phase on cut at 2146; Troy & Terry Hibbitts; spotted by Troy |
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| 46. | 8/26/05 | TX: Brewster Co; on US 90, 3.5 mi E of Paisano Baptist Encampment | juv male alterna phase on cut at 2232 hrs; spotted by Troy |
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| 47. | 8/27/05 | TX: Jeff Davis Co; on TX 118, 12.5 mi NW jct TX 17 | 30" speckled alterna phase male on cut at 2109 hrs; Troy & Terry Hibbitts; spotted by Troy |
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| 48. | 8/27/05 | TX: Jeff Davis Co; on TX 118, 12.7 mi NW jct TX 17 | juv male alterna phase on cut at 2358 hrs; Troy & Terry Hibbitts; spotted by Troy |
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| 49. | 6/25/06 | TX: Terrell Co; on US 285, 8.3 mi N jct US 90 | juv male blairs phase found on cut at 2225 hrs; spotted by Troy |
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| 50. | 7/26/06 | TX: Brewster Co; on TX 118, 21.2 mi S of Alpine | 24" extremely speckled blairs male on cut at 0025 hrs; Troy & Marla Hibbitts & Tim Burkhardt; spotted by Troy |
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| 51. | 6/14/07 | TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 1.0 mi S of Loma Alta | 26" dark blairs male with a few alternates on cut at 2245 hrs; Troy, Marla, Terry, & Cheyenne Hibbitts |
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| 52. | 7/27/07 | TX: Val Verde Co; near Loma Alta | 28" light phase blairs male spotted by Marla at 2234 on "way home" from watching "Harry Potter" at Del Rio Cinema; Troy, Marla, and Cheyenne Hibbitts |
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| 53. | 8/18/07 | TX: Jeff Davis Co; near Ft. Davis | 14" buckskin alterna phase male spotted at 2124 hrs; Troy Hibbitts |
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