Range in California: Red
Click the map for a guide
to the other subspecies
These are two excellent books
with photographs and detailed information about California Mountain Kingsnakes:
"Mountain Kings"
by Brian Hubbs
"Zonata, the California Mountain Kingsnake" by Mitchell Mulks
Get this book
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Currently, the SSAR does not recognize this or any subspecies of Lampropeltis zonata - California Mountain Kingsnake.
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Adult, Napa County. © Gary Nafis. Specimen courtesy of Mitch Mulks |
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Adult, Napa County.
© Gary Nafis.
Specimen courtesy of Rick Staub |
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Habitat, Mt. Saint Helena, Napa County
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Habitat, Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma County |
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Description |
Nonvenomous |
| Considered harmless to humans. (There are no venomous snakes in California that can be mistaken for this snake, but the similar-looking Arizona Coral Snake, found in Arizona, is venomous and dangerous.) |
| Size |
| Adults are 20 - 30 inches long (51 - 76 cm.) Average length is around 24 inches (61 cm.) Hatchlings are 7 - 10 inches in length (18 - 25 cm.) |
| Appearance |
A medium-sized slender snake with a head not much wider than the cylindrical body with smooth shiny scales. The scale count at mid-body is usually 21 - 23..
Black, red, and white or yellowish rings circle the body. The red bands are wider than the black and white bands, but in many specimens all bands are near the same width. Some black bands may widen and cross over the red bands on the back. A red band surrounded by two black bands is referred to as a "triad." Typically, more than 60 percent of the triads have complete red bands with no black crossovers. On this subspecies there are 24 - 37 triads, with an average of 27. The bands continue across the belly, but the coloring is paler, more faded in appearance, and the bands are more irregular, often encroaching into adjacent bands. The snout is black. The rear edge of the first white band on the head is located behind the corner of the mouth. |
| Behavior |
Secretive, but not rare in suitable habitat. Spends most of the time underground, under surface objects, or inside rock crevices. Occasionally seen active on the ground in the daytime, especially near shaded streams on hot sunny days. Active during the day at high altitudes during times of low nighttime temperatures (which is typical habitat.) When temperatures are more moderate, it can be crepuscular, nocturnal, and diurnal. During very hot weather, activity is primarily nocturnal. This snake is normally active at temperatures between aproximately 55 - 85 degrees.
Enters into winter hibernation typically around November, emerging some time from February to April, depending on location and weather conditions. |
| Diet |
| Eats lizards, small mammals, nestling birds, bird eggs, amphibians, and occasionally snakes, including its own species. |
| Reproduction |
| Breeding takes place a few weeks after emergence in the spring. Eggs are laid June-July and hatch after 50 - 65 days. |
| Range |
From southern Napa and Sonoma Counties north along the north coast ranges to Trinity County where a large intergrade range with the Sierra Mountain Kingsnake - L. z. multicincta begins. Unconfirmed reports from Marin County.
Intergrades with the Saint Helena Mountain Kingsnake - L. z. zonata in the Diablo Range. Brian Hubbs refers to this snake as the Diablo Mountain Kingsnake. Intergrades with the Saint Helena Mountain Kingsnake - L. z. zonata have fewer triads and are large, averaging over 36 inches (91cm.) |
| Habitat |
| A habitat generalist, found in diverse habitats including coniferous forest, oak-pine woodlands, riperian woodland, chaparral, manzanita, and coastal sage scrub. Wooded areas near a stream with rock outcrops, talus or rotting logs that are exposed to the sun are good places to find this snake. From about 60 ft. (18 m) to over 4,000 ft. (1,219 m.) Apparently most common above 2,000 ft. (610 m.) |
| Taxonomic Notes |
Rodriguez-Robles, Denardo and Staub (1999 Molecular Ecology 8: 1923-1934) Publication #19 have called into question the recognition of 7 subspecies of Lampropeltis zonata, but not the existence of any subspecies:
"Examination of colour pattern variation in 321 living and preserved specimens indicated that the two main colour pattern characters used to define the subspecies are so variable that they cannot be reliably used to differentiate taxonomic units within this complex, which calls into question the recognition of 7 geographical races of this snake."
Mitochondrial DNA studies found 2 clades of L. zonata, a southern clade from Baja California and southern California, and a northern clade comprised of two subclades - a coastal subclade from the central coast and southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, and a northerneastern subclade of populations north of the San Francisco Bay and most of the Sierra Nevada.
The SSAR, whose taxonomy we follow on this website, no longer recognizes subspecies of L. zonata but we will continue to treat separately the 5 traditonally-recognized subspecies found in California to illustrate some of the regional variations found in this snake. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
When slabs are torn off rock outcrops by someone searching for this snake or other reptiles, the habitat this snake uses for refuge is irreparably damaged. It takes thousands of years for this rock fissuring to occur, so this habitat will not be replaced for many centuries. Such rock destruction is illegal in California: "It is unlawful to use any method or means of collecting that involves breaking apart of rocks, granite flakes, logs or other shelters in or under which reptiles may be found." (2007 regulations 5.60.4.)
Reptile hunters are usually blamed for rock habitat destruction, but bulldozers are far more destructive. I have also witnessed people tearing off huge slabs of granite with a crowbar then carrying the slabs back to their truck to haul them away. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Colubridae |
Colubrids |
| Genus |
Lampropeltis |
Kingsnakes and Milksnakes |
| Species |
zonata |
California Mountain Kingsnake |
Subspecies
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zonata |
St. Helena Mountain Kingsnake |
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Original Description |
Lampropeltis zonata - (Lockington, 1876 ex Blainville, 1835) - Proc. California Acad. Sci., Vol. 7, p. 52 ex Blainville, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris., Ser. 3, Vol. 4, p. 293
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Lampropeltis - Greek - lampros - shiny and pelta - shield - referring to the smooth, shiny dorsal scales characteristic of this genus
zonata - Greek - zonata banded - refers to the black banding
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
Lampropeltis zonata - California Mountain Kingsnake
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Related or Similar California Snakes |
L. z. multicincta - Sierra Mountain Kingsnake
L. z. multifasciata - Coast Mountain Kingsnake
L. z. parvirubra - San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake
L. z. pulchra - San Diego Mountain Kingsnake
L. g. californiae - California Kingsnake
Rhinocheilus lecontei - Long-nosed Snake
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
Hubbs, Brian. Mountain Kings. Tricolor Books, 2004.
Mulks, Mitch. Zonata - The California Mountain Kingsnake. LM Digital, 2005.
Rodriguez-Robles,Denardo and Staub (1999 Molecular Ecology 8: 1923-1934) Publication #19
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Bartlett, R.D. , & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000.
Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003.
Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press.
Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Snakes within the range of this former subspecies are not included on the Special Animals List, which indicates that there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
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| USDA Forest Service |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
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World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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