Kingsnakes have a number of pattern and color variations. The most common and easily recognized pattern is banding, usually light-colored bands on a darker background. This pattern breaks up the snake's body outline so it is less noticeable to predators like hawks, eagles, coyotes, bobcats, and even other kingsnakes. The bands differ in number and width, depending on where the snake lives. Some kingsnakes have stripes that run along the body from head to tail. Stripes are much less common than bands, although California Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getulus californiae) in San Diego and Riverside counties often have them. Sometimes the stripes are broken up into dot-dashes or even separated into spots!

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The video below was taken on our Joshua Tree Adventure Tour!