Description: 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 may have virtually no red bands at all. One population from Isla Todos Santos always lacks the red crossbands and is instead uniformly banded with black and white, similar in appearance to the related California kingsnake.

Habitat: As its common name suggests, the California mountain kingsnake is found mostly in the mountains within its geographic range.

Range: 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.

Found in these States: CA | OR | WA

Diet: Eats lizards, small mammals, nestling birds, bird eggs, amphibians, and occasionally snakes, including its own species.

Reproduction: Mating takes place a few weeks after emergence in the spring. Females are oviparous, laying eggs from June to July which hatch after 50 to 65 days.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Taxonomy: