Lampropeltis getula


Lampropeltis getula, commonly known as the eastern kingsnake, common kingsnake, or chain kingsnake, is a harmless colubrid species endemic to the United States and Mexico. It has long been a favorite among collectors.Nine subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Description

Adult specimens of the speckled kingsnake, L. g. holbrooki, are the smallest race at in snout-to-vent length on average, while the nominate race, L. g. getula, is the largest at SVL on average. Specimens up to in total length have been recorded. Weight can vary from in a small specimen of in total length, to in large specimens, of over in total length.
The color pattern consists of a glossy black, blue-black, or dark brown ground color, overlaid with a series of 23-52 white chain-like rings. King snakes from the coastal plains have wider bands, while those found in mountainous areas have thinner bands or may be completely black.

Common names

Common names for L. getula include eastern kingsnake, common kingsnake, chain kingsnake, kingsnake, Carolina kingsnake, chain snake, bastard horn snake, black kingsnake, black moccasin, common chain snake, cow sucker, eastern kingsnake, horse racer, master snake, North American kingsnake, oakleaf rattler, pied snake, pine snake, racer, rattlesnake pilot, thunder-and-lightning snake, thunderbolt, thunder snake, wamper, wampum snake.In North Carolina, it is also called the pied piper.

Geographic range

Lampropeltis getula is found in the United States in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, portions of Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, south and southwest Illinois, southern Indiana, southern Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, southern and western Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, southern Ohio, Oklahoma, southern Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, southern Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is also found in northern Mexico, including all of Baja California. It has been introduced to Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands where, in 2014, it was estimated that the population had reached 20,000 individuals.

Habitat

The preferred habitats of L. getula are open areas, particularly grassland, but also chaparral, oak woodland, abandoned farms, desert, low mountains, sand, and any type of riparian zone, including swamps, canals and streams.

Diet

Lampropeltis getula eats other snakes, including venomous snakes like copperheads Agkistrodon contortrix
which are responsible for [|more] venomous snakebites than any other in the United States.
It has developed a hunting technique to avoid being bitten by clamping down on the jaws of the venomous prey, but even if bitten, it is immune to the venom. It also eats amphibians, turtle eggs, lizards, and small mammals, which it kills by constriction.

Reproduction

Lampropeltis getula is oviparous. Adult females lay up to several dozen eggs that hatch after 2-2.5 months of incubation. Hatchlings are brightly colored and feed on small snakes, lizards, and rodents.

In captivity

Long a favorite among collectors, L. getula does well in captivity, living to 25 years or more. Some of the most popular subspecies of the common kingsnake kept in captivity are the California, Brooks', Florida, and Mexican black kingsnakes.

Subspecies