Arizona Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis pyromelana
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusLampropeltis (Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes)
- SpeciesLampropeltis pyromelana (Arizona Mountain Kingsnake)
About the Arizona Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis pyromelana, the Sonoran mountain kingsnake or Arizona mountain kingsnake, is a species of snake native to the southwestern United States. It can grow up to 36 inches (910 mm) in length. Within Arizona, L. pyromelana has a discontinuous range extending from the extreme northwestern corner of the state, across the central mountain ranges and the Mogollon Rim, into the "sky island" mountain ranges of the southeast. They can be found at elevations ranging from 3,000–9,000 feet (910–2,740 m) in a variety of habitats from chaparral to conifer forests, often near streams or springs and associated with juniper woodland.
Lampropeltis pyromelana feeds on lizards, rodents and nestling birds. It tends to spend the daytime among rocks, logs, or dense clumps of vegetation. Media related to Lampropeltis pyromelana at Wikimedia Commons Reptile database Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Desert Kingsnake
Lampropeltis splendida
California King Snake
Lampropeltis californiae
Chihuahuan Mountain Kingsnake
Lampropeltis knoblochi
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Long-nosed Snake
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Black-necked Gartersnake
Thamnophis cyrtopsis
Desert Nightsnake
Hypsiglena chlorophaea
Sonoran Whipsnake
Masticophis bilineatus
Banded Sand Snake
Sonora cincta
Western Patch-nosed Snake
Salvadora hexalepis
Checkered Garter Snake
Thamnophis marcianus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |