Black kingsnake (ready to shed)

Description:

Attractive 3' long snake with blue ventral side & blue eyes. This one was very docile & easy to handle. Lampropeltis getula is a harmless colubrid species found in the United States and Mexico. A distinct color pattern and the common belief that this species actively hunts for venomous snakes help to protect them from people. It has long been a favorite among collectors. L. g. getula can be quite docile even when caught wild. Adult specimens are 39-78 inches in length. Specimens up to 82 inches have been recorded. 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.

Habitat:

Semi rural.

Notes:

This guy was basking on one of the piles of dirt excavated by the guys digging our ponds. Concerned that it might be accidentally hurt by the bulldozer, they tried to scare it away. It retreated but returned within a few minutes so I picked it up & released it several hundred yards away. It was last seen winding its way back up the asphalt drive towards the excavation works! The cloudy eyes indicate that it's about to shed its skin.