The Ensatina is a famous ring species — populations around California's Central Valley form a chain of intergrading subspecies, a living demonstration of speciation in progress. It has a constricted tail base used in defensive displays.
Best time to see a Ensatina
The best time to see a Ensatina is January–May, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 24,138 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Recent Ensatina sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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