California Mountain Kingsnake

About the California Mountain Kingsnake

The California mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata) is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake that is endemic to North America. It is a coral snake mimic, having a similar pattern consisting of red, black, and yellow on its body, but the snake is completely harmless. Seven subspecies are recognized, with five found in the U.S., including the nominotypical subspecies, and two in Mexico.

The California mountain kingsnake is endemic to western North America. It ranges from extreme southern Washington state, where it has a disjunct population, through Oregon and California, to northern Baja California. The majority of its range lies within the state of California, which is the reason for its common name.

California mountain kingsnakes have a banded pattern that consists of red, black, and white crossbands. The bands are always arranged in the same order with each red crossband being surrounded by two black crossbands, forming what is called a triad. Each triad is separated from the next triad by a white crossband, or in some examples by a cream or yellow crossband. Some individuals may have reduced amounts of red pigment, and rare individuals... Wikipedia →