California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula californiae
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- L. g. californiae – Fresno Co, CA – photo by Brian Hubbs
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- California Kingsnake consuming a Gophersnake Kings Co, CA – photo by Patrick Briggs
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- Cal. Kingsnake consuming a Mojave Rattlesnake La Paz Co, AZ – photo by Dave Weber
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- L. g. californiae – Maricopa Co, AZ – photo by Kirby Ross
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- L. g. californiae – Riverside Co, CA – photo by Brian Hubbs
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- L. g. californiae – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Will Wells
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- L. g. californiae – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Will Wells
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- L. g. californiae – Yavapai Co, AZ – photo by Kirby Ross
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- L. g. californiae – Orange Co, CA – photo by Steve Bledsoe
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- L. g. californiae – Orange Co, CA – photo by Steve Bledsoe
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- L. g. californiae – San Diego Co, CA – photo by Kent VanSooy
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- Map by Steve Bledsoe, SWCHR
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Lampropeltis g. californiae occurs throughout the entire state of California, eastward across central and southern Nevada, across southern Utah and southward through the western two-thirds of the state of Arizona to the Mexican border. In southeastern Arizona, Lampropeltis g. californiae intergrades with Lampropeltis g. nigrita and Lampropeltis g. splendida.
LEGAL STATUS: No Listings
NOTE: To learn more about the many naturally occurring aberrations of this species, please click here.
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lampropeltis getula californiae (Blainville – 1835)
Genus: Lampropeltis, Greek – lampros = shining, beautiful + pelta = small shield – ref. smooth shiny dorsal scales typical of the genus
Species: getula, Latin – getulus = belonging to the Getulians of Morocco, N. Africa – poss. ref. chain pattern of the eastern species, poss. error in location data
Subspecies: californiae, of the state of California
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006
Ref. E. Jeager 1962