Lampropeltis zonata
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The California mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata) is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake that is endemic to North America. It is a coral snake mimic, having a similar pattern consisting of red, black, and yellow on its body, but the snake is completely harmless. Seven subspecies are recognized, with five found in the U.S., including the nominotypical subspecies, and two in Mexico.
The California mountain kingsnake is endemic to western North America. It ranges from extreme southern Washington state, where it has a disjunct population, through Oregon and California, to northern Baja California. The majority of its range lies within the state of California, which is the reason for its common name.
California mountain kingsnakes have a banded pattern that consists of red, black, and white crossbands. The bands are always arranged in the same order with each red crossband being surrounded by two black crossbands, forming what is called a triad. Each triad is separated from the next triad by a white crossband, or in some examples by a cream or yellow crossband. Some individuals may have reduced amounts of red pigment, and rare individuals... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Francisco Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Buin Zoo | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 4 | 放牧區 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 5 | Kung Fu Corals | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a California Mountain Kingsnake sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 126 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 17 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a California Mountain Kingsnake in Yosemite National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months. That is one of Yosemite National Park's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 220 mm in January.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most California Mountain Kingsnake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate California Mountain Kingsnake sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 30%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the California Mountain Kingsnake that you can see in Yosemite National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (about 20%), Western Aquatic Garter Snake (about 20%) and Gopher Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the California Mountain Kingsnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Yosemite National Park (126 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.
