Description: One of our most attractive snakes it is ringed with black, white, and red. Resembles the Sonora Mountain Kingsnake and western races of the Milk Snake. The red bands are bordered by black. The snout is black. The white bands do not widen near the belly scales. The scales are smooth in 23 rows with the anal plate being single.
Habitat: Sierra Nevada yeelow pine belt, Coast Ranges chaparral, redwood forests south of San Francisco Bay. Found from sea level to 8,000 feet.
Breeding: Clutches of 3 to 8 eggs are deposited in July. They eggs hatch in 9 to 10 week and the young are about 8" long.
Range: Kern County, California, north along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains into southwestern Oregon, southward in the eastern portion of the Coast Ranges to the San Francisco Bay area and south in the mountain scattered populations to northcentral Baja California. Isolated population in southcentral Washington.
Diet: Eats lizards, snakes, and birds and thier eggs.
Behavior: Diurnal but becomes active at night during warm weather and sometimes can be seen crossing roads. Hides under rotten logs and stones near sunlit stretches of rocky streams.
Conservation Status: The State of California considers the San Bernardino population (parvirubra) and the San Diego population (pulchra) to be potentially threatened. No California Mountain Kingsnakes can be collected in Orange and San Diego counties, and in Los Angeles County west of Interstate 5.
Additonal Notes: Sometimes called the Coral Kingsnake. Record longevity exceeds 24 years.
Subspecies: Seven, 5 of which can be found in our range.
St. Helena Mountain Kingsnake (L.z. zontata) - the back edge of the first white ring is behind the last upper lip scale, the snout is dark, more than 60% of teh red bands are continuous across the midline of the back. Found in Napa, Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties, California. Intergrades with the Sierra Mountain Kingsnake in northern California and southwestern Oregon. Photo...
Sierra Mountain Kingsnake (L.z. multicincta) - the first white ring and snout resemble the St. Helena Mountain Kingsnake, less then 60% of the red bands are continuous across the back. Found in the western slopes of the Sierra Nevadas, Shasta County to Kern County, California. Photo...
Coast Mountain Kingsnake (L.z. multifasciata) - like the St. Helena, the snout is marked with red. Found in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties to Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, California. Photo...
San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake (L.z. parviruba) - the back edge of the first white ring on ir in front of the last upper lip scale; the snout is dark, there are 37 or more groups of trivolored rings (triads) around the body. Found in the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and San Jacinto mountains in southern California. Photo...
San Diego Mountain Kingsnake (L.z. pulchra) - like the San Bernardino excep[t 36 or fewer triads. Found in the mountains of San Diego County, southern California. Photo...
