| CALIFORNIA KINGSNAKES |
| (Lampropeltis getula californiae) |
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| COLORATIONS: Usually some form of black to brown and white to yellow pattern, with banded or striped versions. Stark white and black specimens are known as desert phases (even though they may not come from the desert), with the brown and yellow forms being known as coastal forms. Pattern varitions include the banded, the 50/50 banded, striped, reverse striped, high white, albinos, snow or blizzard albinos, melanistic, hypomelansic, among many different and combined phases of the above. Juvenile albinos start off as being pink with any pattern being yellow or white. As they age, they turn white as their scales thicken and become more opaque. |
| NATURAL HABITAT: Desert, woodlands, farmland and marshes, low mountains (5000 ft or less). |
| RANGE: California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and the Baja penninsula in Mexico. Most striped versions are limited to the San Diego County area of California, with melanistic forms (nitida) in the Southern Baja Penninsula. Known to intergrade with Mexican Blacks and Desert Kings in southwest Arizona. |
| SIZE AND LONGETIVITY: California kingsnakes can grow to about 5 ft, but usually average just under 4 ft. They have been known to live as long as 20 years in captivity. There is a record of one living 33 years and 4 months. |
| NATURAL PREY: Rodents, snakes (including venomous species), birds, lizards, and frogs. |
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| CALIFORNIA KINGSNAKES PHASES: |
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| Juvenile Albino Banded Phase photo courtesy of CherryVille Farms |
| My Snow Albino Phase |
| My Banana Phase |
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| High White Phase photo courtesy of Renegade Reptiles |
| My Striped Desert Phase |
| Reveresed Striped photo courtesy of Renegade Reptiles |
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| 50/50 Phase Thanks to Will for pic |
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| My Albino Banana Phase |
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| Dot- Dash Phase Photo Courtesy of Peace River Herps |
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| Coastal Phase Thanks to Alex for the pic |
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| Normal Banded California Kingsnake Thanks to Mike for the pic |
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| California Kingsnakes and their Natural habitat @ Californiaherps.com |
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| Patternless Melanistic Phase Thanks to Jetzen for the pic! |
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| Melanistic Banded "Yumensis" Phase Thanks to Jetzen for the Pic! |
| (Blainville 1835)- Once thought to be several different species and subspecies. It was shown in papers written by Lawrence Klauber in 1936, 1939, and 1944, that they were merely different pattern variations of the same subspecie of getula. Prior to this, the striped version was considered it's own specie (Lampropeltis california), and the melanistic form from the southern Baja Penninsula being Lampropeltis nitida. With the remaining pattern variations believed to be subspecies of getulas. Including the normal banded pattern (Lampropeltis getula boylii), the thin banded pattern (Lampropeltis getula yumensis), and the banded melanisitic form from the southern Baja (Lampropeltis getula conjuncta). California Kingsnakes are hardy snakes that do well in captivity. They readily take pinky mice as a first meal, but are known to musk more frequently than other Kingsnakes. They also tend to be very defensive as juveniles, but tend to outgrow this with regular handling. |
| MORE CALIFORNIA KINGSNAKE INFORMATION AND PICTURE SITES: |
| More California Kingsnake Pictures @ the Lampropeltis page |
| More pics!!! @ Berkeley Digital Library |
| Info and pics @ Whozoo |
| MERISTICS: Banding- 21-44 bands, or striped Dorsal Scales: 23-25 Ventrals: 213-255 Subcaudals: 44-63 Supralabials: 7-8 Infralabials: 8-11 |