Eastern (Chain) Kingsnake

Description:

Description: Eastern kingsnakes are large -- 36 – 48 in (90-122 cm) -- shiny-black, smooth-scaled snakes with white or yellow chain-link bands that cross the back and connect along the sides. Because of this pattern this species is also referred to as the chain kingsnake. Generally, individuals from the Coastal Plain have wide bands while those from the mountains may have very thin bands or be nearly completely black. Eastern kingsnakes have a short stout head and small beady eyes. They have an undivided anal plate. Kingsnakes have one of the largest geographic ranges of any North American snake species and their coloration is variable across their range. Although kingsnakes from most areas of Georgia and South Carolina are of the Eastern subspecies (Lampropeltis getula getula), two other subspecies approach our region. The black kingsnake (L. g. nigra), which lacks yellow or white crossbands, is found in the north-central United States, including mountainous regions of northwestern Georgia. As its name implies, the speckled kingsnake (L. g. holbrooki), exhibits dark background coloration speckled with yellow or white. The speckled kingsnake is characteristic of the Gulf Coast from central Alabama to Texas. Partially speckled color variants are also found in the Apalachicola region of the Florida panhandle and on the Outer Banks of North Carolina