Lampropeltis getula, commonly known as the eastern kingsnake, common kingsnake, or chain kingsnake (more), is a harmless colubrid species endemic to the United States and Mexico. It has long been a favorite among collectors. Eight subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Description
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Adult specimens of the speckled kingsnake, L. g. holbrooki, are the smallest race at 91.5Â cm (36.0Â in) in snout-to-vent length (SVL) on average, while the nominate race, L. g. getula, is the largest at 107Â cm (42Â in) SVL on average. Specimens up to 208.2Â cm (82.0Â in) in total length (including tail) have been recorded. Weight can vary from 285Â g (10.1Â oz) in a small specimen of 87.2Â cm (34.3Â in) in total length, to 2,268Â g (80.0Â oz) in large specimens, of over 153Â cm (60Â in) 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 plain 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. Also In North Carolina it is called the pied piper.
Geographic range
L. 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, southeastern 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.
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
L. getula eats other snakes, including venomous snakes. 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
L. 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.
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 kingsnake kept in captivity are the California, Brook's, Florida, and Mexican black kingsnakes.
Subspecies
See also
- Colubridae by common name
- Colubridae by taxonomic synonyms
References
Further reading
- Hubbs, Brian (2009). Common Kingsnakes: A Natural History of Lampropeltis getula. Tempe, Arizona: Tricolor Books. 436 pp. ISBNÂ 978-0975464113.
- Linnaeus C (1766). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, diferentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio Duodecima, Reformata. Stockholm: L. Salvius. 532 pp. (Coluber getulus, new species, p. 382). (in Latin).
- Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp. ISBNÂ 978-0-544-12997-9. (Lampropeltis getula, p. 379 + Plate 34).
- Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBNÂ 0-307-13666-3 (paperback), ISBNÂ 0-307-47009-1 (hardcover). (Lampropeltis getula, pp. 180-181).
- Stebbins RC (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. xiii + 533 pp. ISBN 978-0-395-98272-3. (Lampropeltis getula, pp. 364-366 + Plate 44 + Map 153).
External links
- Lampropeltis getula at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 July 2008.
- Eastern Kingsnake at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Accessed 29 June 2008.