Lampropeltis californiae

If you’re out on a hike or walk and happen to be lucky enough, you might see one of these black-and-white beauties enjoying the trails with you. The California Kingsnake can be found in a wide variety of habitats across the Bay Area, from grasslands, to ponds and wetlands, wooded areas, and even if relatively urban areas - my most recent California Kingsnake sighting was along a popular walking trail just a few minutes from major roadways in Fremont. Like all snakes, these guys are fascinating and a critical part of our ecosystem, but there are a few additional things that set them apart from other Bay Area snakes:

They have two primary patterns - banded (pictured above) and striped (pictured below).
Across both banded and striped variations, they also have two primary color schemes - black and white, or darker brown/yellow.
Like all kingsnakes, they earn their name due to the fact that they are cannibalistic. Other snakes, even rattlesnakes, are fair game for a hungry California Kingsnake. They even possess immunity to rattlesnake venom!