Speckled Kingsnake
Lampropeltis holbrooki • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. holbrooki
Found primarily in the central and southern United States, ranging from Iowa and Illinois south to the Gulf Coast, and west to Texas and Nebraska.
Look up Speckled Kingsnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: L. holbrooki
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, tolerance of habitat modification, and stable population trends.
Physical Description
Glossy black or dark brown body with a distinct yellowish-white spot on almost every dorsal scale, giving a 'salt-and-pepper' or speckled appearance. The head is relatively small and continuous with the neck, and scales are smooth.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated length of the pictured specimen is approximately 30 to 40 inches. Typical adults range from 36 to 48 inches, with a maximum recorded length exceeding 70 inches.
Habitat
Inhabits a wide range of habitats including open woodlands, forest edges, floodplains, agricultural fields, and suburban areas, often hiding under logs, rocks, or debris.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists of rodents, lizards, birds, eggs, and other snakes. They hunt actively using chemoreception and subdue prey through constriction.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, females typically lay clutches of 2 to 24 eggs during the summer months, which hatch after an incubation period of about two months.
Look-alikes
Can be confused with other kingsnake species or morphs, but distinguished by the characteristic single light spot on nearly every scale.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, tolerance of habitat modification, and stable population trends.
Cultural Significance
Valued in agricultural regions as a natural pest control agent due to its appetite for rodents and other snakes.
Notable Features
Possesses a natural immunity to the defensive secretions of certain other snake species, allowing it to successfully prey upon them.