Black Kingsnake
Lampropeltis nigra • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: nigra
Southeastern United States, spanning from the Ohio River valley south to Alabama and Georgia, and west to the Mississippi River. It is a common native species in Kentucky.
Look up Black Kingsnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Lampropeltis, Species: nigra
Conservation
IUCN Least Concern. Populations are generally stable, though they face threats from habitat loss and road mortality.
Physical Description
Solid black or very dark brown dorsal color with minimal speckling or faint white/yellow cross-bands (vestiges of a chain pattern). The head is only slightly wider than the neck, and the eyes have round pupils. Scales are smooth, giving the snake a glossy or shiny appearance.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be an adult around 3 to 4 feet in length. Typical adult size range is 36-48 inches (91-122 cm), with a maximum record near 6 feet.
Habitat
Generalist species found in forests, agricultural fields, wetlands, and suburban areas. Prefers microhabitats with abundant cover like rotting logs, rocks, and debris; it is both terrestrial and fossorial.
Diet & Feeding
Active forager specializing in 'ophiophagy' (eating other snakes), including copperheads and rattlesnakes. Also consumes rodents, lizards, birds, and eggs using powerful constriction.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 3-24 eggs in early summer, which hatch in late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
IUCN Least Concern. Populations are generally stable, though they face threats from habitat loss and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Highly valued by homeowners and farmers for their role in controlling rodent populations near human dwellings.
Notable Features
Black Kingsnakes hunt and consume North American pit vipers (copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes).
Notes
Kentucky USA