KING SNAKE

KING SNAKE


King Snakes are colubrid New World constrictors, members of the genus Lampropeltis, which includes milk snakes and four other species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized.

Lampropeltis includes the Greek words for "shiny shield". The name is given to them in reference to their smooth, enamel-like dorsal scales. Their common name of "King Snake" derives from their habit of eating other snakes. The several species vary widely in size and coloration. Adult scarlet King Snakes are typically 40 cm to 50 cm (16 inch to 20 inch) in length, while the common King Snake can grow up to 1.8 m (6 ft). Some King Snakes are coloured in muted browns to black, while others are brightly marked in white, reds, yellows, grays and lavenders that form rings, longitudinal stripes, speckles, and saddle-shaped bands.

King Snakes use constriction to kill their prey and tend to be opportunistic in their diet; they eat other snakes (ophiophagy) including venomous snakes. King Snakes also eat lizards, rodents, birds, and eggs. The common king Snake is known to be immune to the venom of other snakes and does eat Rattle Snakes, but it is not necessarily immune to the venom of snakes from different localities.


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