The Speckled Kingsnake is a stunning species of snake. As its name suggests, it belongs to the Kingsnake family. It has been nicknamed the ‘salt and pepper’ snake because of its appearance.
Speckled Kingsnake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Speckled Kingsnake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Corn Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The Speckled Kingsnake belongs to the Lampropeltis genus. This genus contains the New World Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes.
Some other species in the Lampropeltis genus include the Mexican Milk Snake, the Grey Banded Kingsnake, the Prairie Kingsnake, the Scarlet Kingsnake and the Nuevo Leone Kingsnake.
The Kingsnake gets its name from the fact that they often eat other snakes, including Rattlesnakes. Similarly, the King Cobra gets its name from its tendency to also eat other snakes.
The scientific name ‘Lampropeltis’ comes from the Greek words ‘lampro’ and ‘pelte’ which loosely translates to ‘shiny shield’. This is a reference to these snake’s smooth, enamel-like dorsal scales.
Species
The scientific name for the Speckled Kingsnake is Lampropeltis holbrooki. It is named after the herpetologist John Edwards Holbrook, who first described it in 1842.
It was long considered a sub-species of the Common Kingsnake but has since been elevated to full species status.
Speckled Kingsnake Description
The Speckled Kingsnake typically grows to around 4ft in length. It gets its common name from its patterning which consists of a black base color with white or yellowish speckles on almost every scale.
These ‘speckles’ give the snake a unique appearance which has resulted in it getting nicknames the ‘salt and pepper’ snake.
They have smooth scales while their belly is usually black with irregular yellow to cream-colored markings.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Speckled Kingsnake can be found in much of Central and Southern United States where it can be found in states such as Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
They can also be found in a small part of Northern Mexico where their range overlaps with the Desert Kingsnake. In this region, they are known to breed with the Desert Kingsnake, creating hybrid offspring.
This species prefers to live in more humid habitats such as in swamps or near rivers but they can also be found in drier habitats such as woodlands and grasslands.
Diet
The Speckled Kingsnake is an opportunistic feeder and will prey on a wide variety of animals.
They are known to eat small mammals, birds, frogs, lizards and snake eggs. They are even known to eat other species of snakes, hence the name ‘Kingsnake’.
These snakes are often referred to as cannibalistic but they typically don’t eat other Speckled Kingsnakes. However, it can still happen especially if housed together in captivity so care should be taken to prevent this.
The Speckled Kingsnake is renowned for its ability to eat large snakes and is capable of consuming a snake that is as long as itself.
These snakes will also consume venomous snakes and are known to prey on species such as the Prairie Rattlesnake and the Massasauga Rattlesnake.
Speckled Kingsnake Behaviour
The Speckled Kingsnake is primarily active during the day. However, during the hotter summer days they will often be more active around dusk and dawn, in order to avoid the heat of the sun.
Mating usually occurs between March and May while females will typically lay their eggs in late May and June. Clutch sizes can vary from around 6 to over 20 eggs.