How to Identify the Short-Tailed Kingsnake (Identification Guide)

The Short-Tailed Kingsnake (Lampropeltis extenuata) is a slender, non-venomous snake endemic to a small area of central Florida. It is an unusual, secretive kingsnake relative recognized by its slim body and speckled pattern. This guide covers visual identification.

Key identifying features

Look for a very slender, small snake with a gray to silvery ground color marked by a series of dark brown or black dorsal blotches, often with orange or reddish tints between them along the midline. The tail is proportionally short, giving the species its name. The head is small and barely distinct from the neck. Adults are typically 35 to 50 centimeters. Its slim build, speckled gray appearance, and restricted Florida range are the key identifiers.

Coloration & pattern

The ground color is pale gray or silvery, overlaid with roughly 50 to 80 dark dorsal blotches down the back. Between or along the blotches there is often a reddish, orange, or yellowish middorsal wash or spotting, giving a speckled, salt-and-pepper look with warm highlights. The sides may show smaller dark spots. The belly is pale and often checkered or blotched. The smooth scales give a slight sheen.

Head, eyes & scales

The head is small, narrow, and scarcely wider than the neck, suited to burrowing. Eyes are small with round pupils. There may be a dark blotch or bar on the head and neck. The dorsal scales are smooth, typical of kingsnakes. Head shields are enlarged and symmetrical. The small head and slim neck reflect its fossorial lifestyle.

Size & body shape

The body is exceptionally slender and elongate for its length, with a notably short tail, which is a defining proportion. The overall build is that of a thin, worm-like burrowing snake rather than a robust surface predator. This slim, short-tailed profile is characteristic and unusual among kingsnakes.

Range & habitat

The Short-Tailed Kingsnake is endemic to a limited region of central Florida, favoring dry sandhill and longleaf pine habitats with sandy soils where it can burrow. It is highly fossorial and rarely seen on the surface, making sightings uncommon.

How to tell it apart from look-alikes

Within its small Florida range, its slender gray body with dark blotches and warm midline highlights is distinctive. It could be confused with young racers or other slim snakes, but those lack the combination of speckled gray coloration, short tail, and reddish middorsal tints. Its very slender build, short tail, small burrowing head, and restricted sandhill habitat set it apart from other Florida snakes. The high number of dark dorsal blotches, often between roughly 50 and 80, together with the warm reddish or orange middorsal wash, is unusual and helps rule out plainer or more boldly banded species. The smooth scales, round pupils, and checkered belly are consistent with a harmless kingsnake relative rather than any venomous snake. When a slim, silvery, densely blotched snake with a distinctly short tail is found in central Florida sandhills, this species is the most likely identification. Its extreme slenderness relative to length is unusual among Florida snakes and, together with the reduced eyes and narrow burrowing head, reflects a life spent largely below ground in loose sandy soils.