I just happened across your gallery and wanted to let you know that you are correct; this IS a gopher snake, not a king or rattle snake. They vary quite a bit in their coloration, so the fact that this one is lighter than you expected is not an issue.
Except that the color is a little light, I would say this is a Gopher snake (Pituophis Melanoleuces). I think it is too large and colors and designs are wrong to be a King.
