Lampropeltis zonata (LOCKINGTON, 1835)
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Lampropeltis zonata
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| Higher Taxa | Colubridae, Colubrinae, Lampropeltini, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: California Mountain Kingsnake multicincta: Sierra Mountain Kingsnake multifasciata: Coast Mountain Kingsnake parvirubra: San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake pulchra: San Diego Mountain Kingsnake zonata: St. Helena Mountain Kingsnake G: Bergkönigsnatter, Korallen-Königsnatter |
| Synonym | Coluber (Zacholus) zonatus LOCKINGTON in BLAINVILLE 1835: 293 Bellophis zonata — LOCKINGTON 1876: 53 Ophibolus getulus multicinctus YARROW 1882 Ophibolus triangulus var. zonatus — GARMAN 1884: 66 Coronella multifasciata BOCOURT 1886: 616 Lampropeltis agalma VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN 1923: 2 Lampropeltis herrerae VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN 1923: 2 Lampropeltis zonata — FITCH 1936 Lampropeltis multicincta — LEWIS 1942 Lampropeltis zonata parvirubra ZWEIFEL 1952 Lampropeltis zonata pulchra ZWEIFEL 1952 Lampropeltis zonata — STEBBINS 1985: 192 Lampropeltis zonata pulchra — MEHRTENS 1987: 131 Lampropeltis zonata — LINER 1994 Lampropeltis zonata multicincta — CROTHER 2000: 64 Lampropeltis zonata multifasciata — CROTHER 2000: 64 Lampropeltis zonata parvirubra — CROTHER 2000: 64 Lampropeltis zonata zonata — CROTHER 2000: 64 Lampropeltis zonata pulchra — CROTHER 2000: 64 Lampropeltis herrerae — GRISMER 2001 Lampropeltis herrerae — GRISMER 2002 Lampropeltis zonata — COLLINS & TAGGART 2009 Lampropeltis zonata — MYERS et al. 2013 Lampropeltis multifasciata — MYERS et al. 2013 Lampropeltis zonata — WALLACH et al. 2014: 360 Lampropeltis herrerae — LEMOS-ESPINAL 2015 Lampropeltis multifasciata — LEMOS-ESPINAL 2015 Lampropeltis zonata herrerae — HEIMES 2016 Lampropeltis herrerae — JOHNSON et al. 2017 Lampropeltis multifasciata — CROTHER et al. 2017 Lampropeltis herrerae — PERALTA-GARCÍA et al. 2023 Lampropeltis multifasciata — PERALTA-GARCÍA et al. 2023 Lampropeltis zonata — HANSEN & SHEDD 2025 |
| Distribution | USA (Oregon, Washington, California), Mexico (Baja California Norte) herrerae: Mexico (Baja California: South Todos Santos Island); Type locality: South Todos Santos Island, Lower California, Mexico multicincta: Washington multifasciata: USA (S California), Mexico (N Baja California); Type locality: San Luis-Obispo, California. zonata: S Oregon, N California; Type locality: Northern California. |
| Reproduction | oviparous. KREUTZ (2005) reports hybrids between Elaphe (= Pantherophis) guttata and Lampropeltis getulus californiae, between E. (P.) guttata and L. pyromelana, between E. (P.) guttata and L. triangulum sinaloae/nelsoni, and between E. (P.) guttata and L. zonata! |
| Types | Holotype: lost, was CAS (lost fide MYERS et al. 2013). Holotype: SDNHM = SDSNH 38667 [pulchra] Holotype: CAS 56755 [herrerae] Holotype: CAS 56865, “7000 ft altitude near Alcatraz, San Pedro Martir Mountains, Lower California, Mexico” [agalma] Holotype: MNHN 1884.326 [multifasciata] Holotype: MVZ 42407 (adult male) [parvirubra] Holotype: USNM 11753 [Ophibolus getulus multicinctus] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: L. zonata is likely to be confused only with L. pyromelana or with western races of L. triangulum (both allopatric to zonata, but see diagnosis of L. z. herrerae). L. pyromelana has the snout largely white, whereas it is black or black with red markings in zonata. In triangulum with a pattern similar to that of zonata, the white rings tend to broaden as they approach the ventrals rather than remain narrow as in zonata. Most individuals of these two species also differ in numbers of ventral and subcaudal scales: ventrals 194-227 in zonata (Zweifel, 1952) but 175-198 in westernmost triangulum (L. t. taylori; Tanner and Loomis, 1957); subcaudals respectively are 46-62 and 38-54. (Zweifel 1974) Additional details (1961 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. |
| Comment | Authorship: the original description in Blainville does not mention Lockington on the page of the actual description. Keogh (1996) could not distinguish among L. pyromelana, L. triangulum, and L. zonata. CROTHER (2000) gives “1876” as the year of description. Subspecies: COLLINS (1991) elevates some of the subspecies to full species status. RODRÍGUEZ-ROBLES et al. (1999) states that “the two main colour pattern characters used to define the subspecies of L. zonata are so variable that they cannot be reliably used to differentiate taxonomic units within this complex, which calls into question the recognition of seven geographical races of this snake.” Collins & Taggart (2009) do not recognize subspecies either. MYERS et al. (2013) split L. zonata into L. zonata and L. multifasciata based on molecular data. The two “species” are not distinguishable morphologically but they “inhabit distinct climatic environments”. The authors provide a distribution map of the two species. See MYERS et al. 2013 for a synonymy of the two forms. Rodríguez-Robles et al. (1999) noted on the basis of DNA sequence data that L. herrerae formed a unique lineage. While Hayes (1975) recommended elevating L. herrerae to full species, they felt that doing so on the basis of their DNA sequence data alone would be premature in the absence of a morphological analysis. Distribution: see Hardy 1973 for a map of subspecies as understood at the time. |
| Etymology | Named after the Latin zonata, meaning banded, derived from Greek zonë, a girdle or belt; The Greek agalma means a delight, or an ornament. (now a synonym) Alfonso Herrera was a Mexican naturalist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries; (now a synonym) L. z. multicincta was named after Latin multus, meaning many, cinctus, meaning banded. (now a synonym) L. z. multifasciata derive from the Latin multus, meaning many, and fascis, a bundle or band. (now a synonym) L. z. parvirubra is from the Latin parvus, meaning little, and ruber, meaning red. (now a synonym) L. z. pulchra is Latin for beautiful. (now a synonym) |
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