Reptiles · Squamata · Colubridae

Common Kingsnake

Lampropeltis getula

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The common kingsnake is a harmless constrictor that owes its name to its diet: it eats other snakes, including rattlesnakes and cottonmouths, to whose venom it is resistant. That immunity makes it a top predator among the reptiles of its range and an ally of farmers in the south-eastern United States.

Weight

2 kg on average

Size

90 cm – 1.8 m

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestFreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Freshwater Grassland

2countries 20parks17same family

Fun facts

It is resistant to the venom of American pit vipers: it can take a rattlesnake bite and go on constricting until the snake is dead, thanks to blood proteins that neutralise the haemorrhagic toxins.
Rattlesnakes recognise it by smell and react with a specific defensive posture they use against no other predator: they raise the body into a loop and strike with it instead of biting.
Its presence on a piece of land reduces the abundance of venomous snakes, and in the south-eastern United States many farmers deliberately protect it for that reason.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Woodland, grassland, marshes, farmland and scrub of the southern and eastern United States and Mexico
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 2 months
Litter / clutch size: 10 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampropeltis_getula