Coast Night Snake

Coast Night Snake

Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus

Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Los Angeles

In 3 days ~10%

10 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
6 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Coast Night Snake

Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus, also known commonly as the coast night snake and the spotted night snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to California in the United States and to the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. There are eight recognized subspecies.

H. ochrorhynchus is oviparous. Eight subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus baueri Zweifel, 1958 Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus gularis W. Tanner, 1954 Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus klauberi W. Tanner, 1946

Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus martinensis W. Tanner & Banta, 1962 Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus nuchalata W. Tanner, 1943 Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus ochrorhynchus Cope, 1860 Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus tortugaensis W. Tanner, 1946 Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus venusta Mocquard, 1899

The subspecific name, baueri, is in honor of American entrepreneur Harry J. Bauer (1886–1960) for his support of the 1958 Puritan-American Museum expedition to Baja California. The subspecific name, klauberi, is in honor of American herpetologist Laurence Monroe Klauber. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Los Angeles 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Orange County Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Coast Night Snake in Los Angeles?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Coast Night Snake sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 30th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Coast Night Snake in Los Angeles?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Coast Night Snake in Los Angeles on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Coast Night Snake?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Coast Night Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Los Angeles the best place to see a Coast Night Snake?

Among the best

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Coast Night Snake sightings, Los Angeles ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in San Diego (United States, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Coast Night Snake live in Los Angeles?

Same family: Colubridae

The closest relatives of the Coast Night Snake that you can see in Los Angeles (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Gopher Snake (about 10%), California King Snake (about 10%) and Striped Racer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Coast Night Snake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Coast Night Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Los Angeles (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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