I know many of you are as "Z" crazy as I am. If so you have been keeping track of your Lampropeltis zonata sightings over the years or can recall at ease to brag to other herpers, here is a chance to pool that collected knowledge. I am currently piecing together a thesis at the University of California Santa Cruz on this topic that will hopefully bring to light certain flaws in current L. zonata policies in California.
My goal is to define the range and the sites of aggregation for the California mountain kingsnake partnered with current population data. I will then compare the state policies, range, and when possible population of 3 species of California snakes to Lampropeltis zonata: California common kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus californiae), California subspecies of the rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata), and California subspecies of the gopher snake (Pituophis melanoleucus).
I am trying to make the information as complete as possible so, what I am looking for is your sighting information. I understand that you want to protect the regions that you have discovered. All I am asking is for you to list the:
County/Mountain Range (or river bed)/ elevation/ time of year/ and size of the individual.
This amount of information will not compromise your site and will greatly assist me in my research. Please email me or reply to this post if you think you can help or if you have any questions about my research.
As for my experience I am currently feeding and breeding a L. zonata colony on the UCSC campus with around 200 snakes from localities all over Northern and Southern California. I already have a pretty good grasp of where they are but every new locality addition is as valuable as the first.
PLEASE ONLY FACTUAL RESPONSES, it will not help the cause to have false data incorporated into the project.
