Lampropeltis pyromelana
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Lampropeltis pyromelana, the Sonoran mountain kingsnake or Arizona mountain kingsnake, is a species of snake native to the southwestern United States. It can grow up to 36 inches (910 mm) in length. Within Arizona, L. pyromelana has a discontinuous range extending from the extreme northwestern corner of the state, across the central mountain ranges and the Mogollon Rim, into the "sky island" mountain ranges of the southeast. They can be found at elevations ranging from 3,000–9,000 feet (910–2,740 m) in a variety of habitats from chaparral to conifer forests, often near streams or springs and associated with juniper woodland.
Lampropeltis pyromelana feeds on lizards, rodents and nestling birds. It tends to spend the daytime among rocks, logs, or dense clumps of vegetation. Media related to Lampropeltis pyromelana at Wikimedia Commons Reptile database Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Parc de l'Auxois | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | The Living Planet Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | ZooAmerica | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | OdySea Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Snakeroom Serpentarium | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Arizona Mountain Kingsnake sighting in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 23 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and July–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Arizona Mountain Kingsnake in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and November–April, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Arizona Mountain Kingsnake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Arizona Mountain Kingsnake sightings, Grand Canyon National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Zion National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Arizona Mountain Kingsnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Grand Canyon National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
