Eastern kingsnake

Appearance

Adult specimens of the speckled kingsnake, ''L. g. holbrooki'', are the smallest race at 91.5 cm in snout-to-vent length on average, while the nominate race, ''L. g. getula'', is the largest at 107 cm SVL on average. Specimens up to 208.2 cm in total length have been recorded. Weight can vary from 285 g in a small specimen of 87.2 cm in total length, to 2,268 g in large specimens, of over 153 cm 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.

Naming

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....snipped...

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.

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.

Food

''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.