California KingSnake
Lampropeltis californiae
Kingsnakes are one of the most widespread species of snake in the United States and consist of seven distinct types of subspecies. Their primary habitat will vary from different subspecies, but the California kingsnake is limited to areas in California with an elevation range from sea level to about three thousand feet. California kingsnakes are mostly a dark black color with a white or creamish color and their patterns can vary. Most often the pattern will be horizontal bars or stripes going down their bodies, but sometimes they can also be more spots or vertical bars (like Taco). This difference in pattern could be caused by the demand for them in the pet trade.
Click HERE for a King Snake Activity Sheet!
Our Current Resident
Taco, Male - Hatched in 2013 (estimated and celebrated)
Taco came to ZooMontana in 2018 as a pet surrender. We are not exactly sure when his hatch date was, but it was thought that he was around five years old when he came to the zoo, and we estimated it to be between June 2011- June 2013. Taco is in the indoor education building near the gift shop.
You can get to know Taco better and meet him in person through our programs scheduled through the Education Department!
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Reptilia
- Order: Squamata
- Family: Colubridae
- Genus: Lampropeltis
- Species: Lamprpeltis californiae
Animal Facts
Carnivore: mainly eat lizards, rodents, birds, eggs, and other snakes (and eat infrequently)
Population Status: currently listed as Not Applicable
Habitat: grasslands, marshes, forest, scrub, and deserts
Activity: diurnal- mostly active during the day
