Desert Kingsnake (Snakes of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and Northeastern New Mexico)

Desert Kingsnake

Lampropeltis splendida

Summary ⁵

The desert kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) is a species of kingsnake native to Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. It is nonvenomous, colored yellow and black. The desert kingsnake's diet consists of rodents, lizards, and smaller snakes, including rattlesnakes. They normally grow 3–4 feet long but have been known to grow up to 6.8 feet. They are docile creatures when coming face to face with humans. If they do not try to escape, often they will "play dead" by flipping over onto their backs and lying motionless. Some who domesticate kingsnakes, such as ranchers, do so in the hopes that the kingsnakes will feed on other snakes which might present more of a threat. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common kingsnake.

Appearance ⁶

The snake's glossy dorsum is black or very dark brown colored, finely speckled with off-white or yellow. These pale flecks form dimly-defined narrow vertebral crossbands, between which the intervening rectangular areas are black. Pale yellow scales may predominate along the lower sides. The abdomen of both adult and young snakes is mostly black, with white or pale yellow blotches marking the outer ends of the ventral plates. The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 23 to 25 rows at midbody and the anal plate is undivided.

Habitat ⁶

The desert kingsnake may occur in any rural habitat within its range. Despite its common name, it is most likely to be found in mesic areas, especially near water tanks or within riparian corridors.

Sources and Credits

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