The Amazing California Mountain Kingsnake! (Explore #51)

Look what I found yesterday!! I went for an autumn photo walk along our ridgeline with hopes of finding some new mushrooms. As I walked, I peeked under logs and peered into stumps. I came to the log which once had a scorpion under it, and to my utter amazement I found this magnificent hatchling California Mountain Kingsnake curled into a compact ball! So exciting, a dream come true!! I simply LOVE snakes, and this particular species is one that I have long admired in pictures and vivariums (reptile store) but never imagined I would actually see in the wild! Given the fact that the sun was down and it was getting dark, I had to set my ISO to 1250 and my aperture to 3.5, and though most of my pictures were blurry, I did get a few nice ones!

The lovely, gentle California Mountain Kingsnake is native to California but can be found in Oregon and southern Washington as well. I was surprised to find that they're not uncommon, but are secretive, which is probably why I've only seen garter snakes for the most part. There are 7 subspecies, but I'm not sure which this is. Hatchlings are 6"-7" in size and adults can grow to be as large as 4' in length with a lifespan of up to 15 years. They eat lizards, rodents, birds and eggs.

If you would like more information about this stunning snake, Wiki has a page here: Wiki: California Mountain Kingsnake

By the way, I've uploaded two other pictures today and I hope you'll visit them too!

Explored on Flickr on October 18, 2012. Highest placement: #220.