Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I caught a young one earlier this year while hiking and played with it and let it go. This is the only Kingsnake I've seen while hiking ever. I feel I did the right thing there are plenty of similar Kingsnakes and Milksnakes available for sale.

I admit I wish they were legal to breed and sell so I could own one I just want your thoughts on this subspecies. I love the way it has a Black head with the striping.

Parvirubra are very pretty in my opinion, and one of my favorite of the zonata. The only wild zonata I've seen were multifasciata (Coast) in San Mateo county and would love to see a wild San Berdo! Take any pics?

Even though zonata can't be sold or purchased in CA, sometimes you will find CB specimens as gifts, or you can always purchase L.zonata agalma (Baja CA mountain kingsnake).

You are allowed to keep one per person in Calif.

Great find while hiking. Not found many that way. It is much easier to find them flipping in the spring.

BTW what time of year did you find yours crawling? Was it male or female? Wass it on a trail, picknick area? in the shde- woods, direct sunlight? Did it recently rain? Temps?
-----
www.Bluerosy.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was crossing the trail in front of me probably a few hundred yards from a campground. I knew it was a Kingsnake immediately because i've seen photos of them like this before and there are no wild Coral Snakes in California. No pictures sorry. It was afternoon time earlier this year, Probably spring.

What mountain range (SB, SG?)? Time of year? approx temsp? Overcast skies? ect

I just want to now because usuallythere is some kind of common variable that makes them appear during the day.
-----
www.Bluerosy.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the San Gabriel area and it was a warm sunny day probably mid 80's. Like i said it was earlier this year.

Was it in a campground with a small river/tream running nearby? Where their picknick tables?

if so it is the same place I found one crawling druing the day. It was summer and just started raining.

I bet it is the same campground.
-----
www.Bluerosy.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BlueRosy is there a way to PM you or email?

Ya just click on my name on the left of the screen here. It is in blue. Same place yours is when if i need to contact you.

I could make it hard on you so you can learn where it is. But i won't .

bluerosy at comcast dot net
-----
www.Bluerosy.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I seen my first one way back in the early 80's when I was a kid. I was at a summer camp near Big Bear walking with some friends through an area with scattered pine trees. We found it out on the crawl in the middle of the day. I was afraid of it but thought it was really pretty looking for a snake. You can legaly collect one and don't feel bad about it because they are not rare at all.
-----

Ahhhh! This is what my dreams were made of when i was a kid.

I seen my first one way back in the early 80's when I was a kid. I was at a summer camp near Big Bear walking with some friends through an area with scattered pine trees. We found it out on the crawl in the middle of the day. I was afraid of it but thought it was really pretty looking for a snake. You can legaly collect one and don't feel bad about it because they are not rare at all.

-----
www.Bluerosy.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, its cool to have at least one good memory like that. I didn't really start seeing snakes until I was older. The cool thing about that story is we took it to the leader and all the kids gathered around to see It. one of the girls said it was a kingsnake because she had learned about them in school.
-----

I own san bernardino and san gabriel parvirubra and let me tell you.... If someone offered me every other snake in the world, it wouldn't work for me. I caught my parvirubra myself and would not trade them for anything.

My male was up above glendora on my way to mt baldy and was on the road at about 11:00 p.m. in july and I found it by chance. We were not looking for zonata. My san bernardinos were both found flipping in the spring. One last year by my cousin, and the other this year by myself.. Thanks to Paul Lynum for guidance on when to look!!

When I was younger I spent a lot of time driving around in the angeles national forest and camping. Out of about 10 years. I only ever saw 1 zonata out moving and 1 zonata under a rock. Both of those were near a stream that is now burned up from a recent fire. The area of the campground was called Colby Ranch if anyone is familiar with the area. I am not nearly as successful in finding these as a lot of other herpers have been, but I have hopes for seeing many more in the wild.

...and I agree with Ross.....take one home. Doing it legally, it's w/in your right. Enjoy.

" alt="Image">
-----
Jerry Kruse

UPDATED!
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."