Lampropeltis zonata

Imagine this - you’re out for a hike in the hills. The vegetation is dense and lush, the air is clean and sunlight filters through the tree cover. As you’re taking in the scenery, you suddenly see a dash of color - red, white, and black - disappear into the leaf litter. If this sounds like a recent experience, consider yourself lucky - you’ve likely just seen, even just for a split second, a California Mountain Kingsnake out in the wild.

Compared to another Bay Area Kingsnake, the California Kingsnake, the Mountain Kings are smaller, more secretive, and much less frequently seen out in the wild. They also tend to only be found in pristine higher elevation habitats, as opposed to the California Kingsnakes which are found across a wide range of habitats. Like their more common relatives, however, they earn their name due to being cannibalistic, eating other snakes in addition to small mammals, lizards, and amphibians.