• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Keeping lampropelits zonata agalma in Calif

T

tirzo13

New member
Joined
Aug 27, 2016
Messages
54
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
nipomo, california
Whats the rules on keeping L.z. agalma in California.
Not logical but an actual answer.

As far as i can read California does not accept subspecies, so therefore the "agalma" subspecies is simply L. zonata and the same permit rules apply.
you can keep with permit, but you can't sell.

Does not matter that its from Mexico, as its a California species.
Logically its a mexican snake, but again show me the reg that states its allowed, vs. California reg not accepting subspecies.

Also, not "Joe" has been raising them for years and talked to a warden, id like it written, or at least that wardens name.

Or give me a state address where people respond, as i have mailed multiple address and a warden without a reply.

Same should apply to cal kings collected in Arizona/Nevada or Mexico (Permit does allow you to sell these) but still need a permit, vs. NO PERMIT.

anybody have an answer or a dependable warden to ask?
 
I can refer you to someone who can give you an answer. John Lassiter of CoastalBendCaptiveBreeding. You can contact him through his instagram with the same name (coastalbendcaptivebreeding). He is super knowledgeable and would be more than happy to answer your question.
 
Talked to 2 officials.
Basically state can cite and prosecute but chooses not to.

Border does not matter and technically today there is only 2 species.
Technically there are no subspecies in today's taxonomy.
State uses the subspecies status in this case because it allows protection of San Diego and San bernadino mountain zonatas.

I was looking for documented legal wording. It doesn't exist though herpers believe it does.
Even state will just say you should be ok. But stop short of saying it's legal.
 
Wow thank you for that! The elimination of a lot of subspecies across the board has created a lot of confusion and dispute among the herpetological community so I can't imagine the problems non-herper state officials must be having trying to decipher this problem. I was discussing this same issue about pyromelena, as virtually all subspecies seem to have been abolished, and from what you have stated I'm sure the motivation behind the change in taxonomy was similar. Thank you again for your insight as you have added considerable pieces to this modern day puzzle.
 
As of 2017 there is just 2 zonata. L.ZONATA AND L.MULTIFASCIATA.
All subspecies in this group have been invalidated.

Herpers won't agree with this because it puts "agalma" in more of a gray area and compromising them.

But as I said, CFW is not going to change anything in the near future.
 
Get the 2017 edition of Standard and Scientific Names of Reptiles and Amphibians.
It has all the updates and the journals cited of any taxonomy changes.
 
Back
Top