How to identify it
Coral-snake mimic with white crossbands where a coral snake has yellow. [1][2]
Where it lives
Rocky montane habitat often near streams or springs, and mesic canyons at lower elevation; pinyon-juniper, oak-juniper, pine-oak or pine-Douglas-fir woodland, or chaparral. [1][2]
How it behaves
Generally diurnal but may be most active late afternoon, evening and dusk. [1][2]
Limited legal take
Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.
Where legal take is listed
- Arizona — reptile take · Arizona Reptile and Amphibian Regulations 2026-2030
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Sierra Madre Occidental in eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua, north to the Madrean Sky Islands of southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALNatureServe Explorer taxon record
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
Wikipedia · reviewed 2026-09-30
Wikipedia