Lampropeltis getula
Lampropeltis getula, commonly known as the eastern kingsnake, the common kingsnake, and the chain kingsnake, is a species of harmless snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. It has long been a favorite among collectors. Four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominate subspecies described here. All of these taxa had originally been described as distinct species and recognized as such for more than a century.
Description
Adult specimens of the speckled kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula holbrooki, are the smallest race at in snout-to-vent length on average, while L. g. getula is the largest subspecies 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. Variation is found in their patterns across geographic ranges. Kingsnakes 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 Lampropeltis 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, 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.Geographic range
Lampropeltis getula is found in the southeastern United States from southern New Jersey to Florida.Habitat
The preferred habitats of Lampropeltis 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. A study on the habitat use of the eastern kingsnake found that overall it prefers and can be found in sites with a thick layer of leaf litter and dense shrubbery. From observations, researchers found that 79% of tracked specimen spent the majority of their time concealed under the cover of soil and leaf litter.Although commonly described as diurnal, some reports suggest that the eastern kingsnake is crepuscular or nocturnal during the hottest parts of the year. It will often retreat into rodent burrows as nocturnal retreats.
It has been found that eastern kingsnake home ranges often show little-to-no overlap.
Some studies show that the eatern kingsnake is territorial, especially males, which will engage invading snakes in combat if their territory is threatened.
Diet
Lampropeltis getula eats other snakes, including venomous snakes such as the copperhead, which is responsible for more venomous snakebites than any other in the United States, as well as coral snakes, the massasauga, and other rattlesnakes. Nonvenomous snakes preyed upon include the common garter snake, the common watersnake, the ring-necked snake, the smooth earth snake, and the worm snake.It has developed a hunting technique to avoid being bitten by clamping down on the jaws of the venomous prey, but even if envenomated, it is immune. It also eats amphibians, turtle eggs, bird eggs including those of the northern bobwhite, lizards such as the five-lined skink, and small mammals such as the white-footed mouse, which it kills by constriction.
Due to their diet of other snake species, kingsnakes of the genus Lampropeltis are a key factor in the spread of ophidiomycosis. This is a relatively new snake fungal disease originating from the fungus, Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. This disease has a variety of impacts on snakes and the extent of this impact is still being researched.