Kingsnake / Milksnake
Coast Mountain Kingsnake
HarmlessLampropeltis multifasciata
3 photographs of the Coast Mountain Kingsnake. © Stella.
The Coast Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis multifasciata) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 2 countries.
- Also called
- Kingsnake / Milksnake
- Family
- Colubridae
- Size
- 2–5 ft.
- Habitat
- Forests, farmland, grasslands, and suburbs.
- Behavior
- Powerful constrictors that eat other snakes — including venomous ones; gentle but may musk or vibrate the tail.
- Identify
- Smooth, glossy scales with bold bands or chain-like patterns. Milksnakes mimic coral snakes, but red touches black.
About the Coast Mountain Kingsnake
The Coast Mountain Kingsnake belongs to the Colubridae family, colubrids. The largest snake family, and the one most snakes you meet belong to.
Colubridae is by far the biggest family of snakes, with roughly two thousand species worldwide. It is a catch-all of mostly slender, agile, day-active snakes: ratsnakes, kingsnakes, gartersnakes, watersnakes, racers, whipsnakes, and hundreds more. The vast majority are harmless to people and kill prey by grabbing or constricting rather than with venom.
Its genus, Lampropeltis, covers kingsnakes and milksnakes. Smooth, glossy New World colubrids best known for hunting and eating other snakes, including venomous rattlesnakes and copperheads. None of the 26 species in our database is venomous.
The Coast Mountain Kingsnake is non-venomous and harmless to people. Like most snakes it is a quiet predator that helps keep rodents and other small prey in check. Smooth, glossy scales with bold bands or chain-like patterns. Milksnakes mimic coral snakes, but red touches black.
2–5 ft. Forests, farmland, grasslands, and suburbs.
It has been recorded in the United States of America and Mexico. In the United States it turns up in California.
Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.
Frequently asked: Coast Mountain Kingsnake
- Is the Coast Mountain Kingsnake venomous?
- No. The Coast Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis multifasciata) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
- Is the Coast Mountain Kingsnake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Coast Mountain Kingsnake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Coast Mountain Kingsnake dangerous?
- The Coast Mountain Kingsnake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Coast Mountain Kingsnake live?
- The Coast Mountain Kingsnake has verified records in 2 countries, including United States of America, Mexico. See the distribution section below for its full range.
- How do I identify the Coast Mountain Kingsnake?
- Smooth, glossy scales with bold bands or chain-like patterns. Milksnakes mimic coral snakes, but red touches black.
- How big does the Coast Mountain Kingsnake get?
- 2–5 ft.
Where it is found
By U.S. state
Snakes it is confused with
Texas CoralsnakeVenomousA harmless mimic of the US coral snake. On US coral snakes red bands touch yellow; on these mimics red usually touches black. This color rule is reliable ONLY in the United States — it does not hold for coral snakes elsewhere.
Coast Mountain Kingsnake vs Texas Coralsnake→
More Colubridae snakes
Eastern MilksnakeLampropeltis triangulum
California King SnakeLampropeltis californiae
Speckled KingsnakeLampropeltis holbrooki
Eastern KingsnakeLampropeltis getula
Black KingsnakeLampropeltis nigra
Prairie KingsnakeLampropeltis calligaster
Western MilksnakeLampropeltis gentilis
Desert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
- OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
- Squamata
- FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
- Colubridae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Lampropeltis
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Lampropeltis multifasciata
Keep learning
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.