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Common Kingsnake

Lampropeltis getula getula

Description:

Eastern subspecies. A beautiful snake, black with light yellow bands. Small for a kingsnake, at less than three feet long (maybe 2.5?); not full-grown yet. Surprisingly docile. It was shy at first and hid in a crevice in the rock, but once I coaxed it out, it let me hold it without any fuss at all. It was an amazing experience getting to handle this gorgeous wild snake!

Habitat:

Found on some stone steps beside a small creek in the woods. There were a lot of holes in the rocks where the snake could hide. It had a den at the top of the steps, where there was a tunnel in the dirt next to a rock. Little Mulberry Park.

Notes:

Thanks to my awesome friend Renee for spotting this snake for me and taking photos while I held it! : )

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8 Comments

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Very nice Mandy! We have a new mission for Snakes of the United States created by the Center for Snake Conservation that you might like to add this beauty & your other wild snake spottings to - http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/1202...

JamieDorton
JamieDorton 11 years ago

Ive actually caught most of the species in Maryland, Virginia, & Pennsylvania. My faves were the Hognose,Rough green, Copperhead & Timber Rattlesnake. Now Im working on Florida. Check out my spottings, I have pics of a bunch of them. When I do,I only keep them & feed them for a short while then release ;)

Mandy Hollman
Mandy Hollman 11 years ago

No, I let it go. It was very obliging to let me hold it. It's cool that you've caught so many snakes :). I love the way they move along the ground. So graceful.

JamieDorton
JamieDorton 11 years ago

Such a beautiful specimine...Are ya gonna keep it for a bit? Yeah, Ive caught dozens & dozens of black rat snakes, & one corn. I almost had a yellow rat, but it was out of my reach...Kingsnakes are still my "holy grail" though. ;)

Mandy Hollman
Mandy Hollman 11 years ago

Aw, keep looking, Jamie! Yes, I couldn't believe my luck with this one. I almost never find any snakes, and those I do find are almost all rat snakes (which are cool too). Ironically, this beauty snuck up on me while I was looking for snakes hiding in the rocks. It was right behind me, about three feet away, in plain sight, and I didn't even see it until my friend called out, "Oh my gosh, look out, there's a SNAKE behind you!" I was THRILLED to see this stunning kingsnake.

JamieDorton
JamieDorton 11 years ago

Im from Maryland & Ive been herping for over 20 yrs. & & still have yet to find a kingsnake. Lucky ;o)

Mandy Hollman
Mandy Hollman 11 years ago

They are fun to hold! I have a milksnake for a pet, and she's very tame. I like the way they smell you by flicking their tongues.

Atul
Atul 11 years ago

nice one! i am terribly afraid of holding snakes , i want to hold one someday though :-)

Mandy Hollman
Spotted by
Mandy Hollman

Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, USA

Spotted on May 22, 2012
Submitted on May 24, 2012

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