''Lampropeltis pyromelana'', the Arizona mountain kingsnake or Sonoran mountain kingsnake, is a species of

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more ...

native to

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. It can grow up to in length.

Distribution and habitat

Within Arizona, ''L. pyromelana'' has a discontinuous range extending from the extreme northwestern corner of the state, across the central mountain ranges and the Mogollon Rim, into the "sky island" mountain ranges of the southeast. They can be found at elevations ranging from in a variety of habitats from chaparral to conifer forests, often near streams or springs and associated with juniper woodland.

Ecology

''L. pyromelana'' feeds on lizards, rodents and nestling birds. It tends to spend the daytime among rocks, logs, or dense clumps of vegetation.

References

External links

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Reptile database

Reptile buzz
pyromelana Reptiles described in 1866 Snakes of North America {{snake-stub