California Kingsnake
The California kingsnake is a constrictor that is rarely found in Colorado.
About This Species
A non-venomous constrictor that is popular in the pet trade, the California kingsnake has a variety of color variations and striped patterns.
More Information:
Physical Characteristics
Upper scales smooth (unkeeled), black or dark brown, with broad whitish or yellowish bands; single anal scale; usually two rows of scales on underside of tail; maximum total length about 183 cm (72 inches) but usually less than 100 cm (39 inches).
Range
Known from a few locations in southeastern Colorado (north to the vicinity of the Arkansas River) and a few sites in extreme southwestern Colorado (western Montezuma County), at elevations below about 5,200 feet. Generally difficult to find but may be locally fairly common in the very restricted range in Colorado.
Habitat
Generally associated with lowland river valleys. Western Colorado: has been found in a semi-agricultural situation in the broad bottom of a canyon through which a permanent stream flows and in low, hilly semidesert shrubland above the San Juan River. Southeastern Colorado: has been found near irrigated fields on the floodplain of the Arkansas River, in rural residential areas in plains grassland, near stream courses, and in other areas dominated by shortgrass prairie. Most activity occurs on the ground or in rodent burrows. Periods of inactivity are spent in burrows and logs, in or under old buildings, in other underground spaces, or beneath various types of cover.
Diet
This constrictor preys on a wide assortment of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, including the eggs of reptiles and birds. Most foraging occurs on the ground surface or in burrows.
Reproduction
Females produce a clutch of eggs usually between mid-June and late July. Hatchlings emerge in mid- to late August or September.