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Gray-banded kingsnake

The gray-banded kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna), sometimes referred to as the alterna or the Davis Mountain king snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. Some sources list two distinct subspecies of Lampropeltis alterna, as L. a. alterna and L. a. blairi differentiated by patterning and locale, but research has shown them to be color morphs of the same species.[4]

Gray-banded kingsnake
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Lampropeltis
Species:
L. alterna
Binomial name
Lampropeltis alterna
(A.E. Brown, 1901)
Synonyms[2][3]
  • Ophibolus alternus
    A.E. Brown, 1901
  • Lampropeltis alterna
    Stejneger & Barbour, 1917
  • Lampropeltis blairi
    Flury, 1950
  • Lampropeltis mexicana blairi
    — Gehlbach & Baker, 1962
  • Lampropeltis mexicana alterna
    Conant, 1975
  • Lampropeltis alterna blairi
    — Crother, 2000
  • Lampropeltis alterna
    Wallach et al., 2014

Taxonomy edit

Arthur Erwin Brown described the species in 1901.[5]

The color morph "blairi", formerly specific name or subspecific name blairi, is named in honor of American zoologist William Franklin Blair.[6]

Description edit

 

A moderately sized snake, the gray-banded kingsnake can grow up to 4 ft (120 cm) in total length (including tail), with the average total length being 3 ft (91 cm).[7] It has a relatively wide head (when compared to other kingsnake species), and has large eyes with round pupils.

L. alterna coloration and patterning vary greatly, but there are two main color morphs, which were once considered separate subspecies: the "blairi" which has wide red/orange banding, and the "alterna" which has thinner orange/red banding. Both are generally on a gray background with white and/or black accenting. There are many variations on this basic morphology found in the wild and captive bred, with some specimens even lacking orange or red banding entirely.

Distribution and habitat edit

Lampropeltis alterna is found in the Trans-Pecos/Chihuahuan Desert region of southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Mexico. The species is closely associated with limestone and volcanic substrates, with steep slopes and standard desert scrub. [8]

Behavior edit

In the wild, the gray-banded kingsnake, is not often encountered. It is a common species, but nocturnal and quite secretive. Its natural range is sparsely populated with humans, and many regions are virtually impassable due to the mountainous terrain. In the field herpetologist community, finding this snake in the wild is often considered to be a laudable feat. Most that are located are found along the roadways that transect their habitat in the Trans Pecos region. L. alterna generally has a calm disposition and is not prone to defensive reactions, like biting. They are non venomous and have an immunity to rattlesnake venom.

Diet edit

The gray-banded kingsnake feeds primarily on lizards. It will occasionally feed on small rodents, frogs, and the eggs of ground nesting birds, lizards, and other snakes.

 
An "alterna" morph with lizard prey item.

Reproduction edit

L. alterna is oviparous, laying clutches of 3–13 eggs in early summer, which hatch in approximately 9 weeks. Each hatchling is around 10 in (25 cm) in total length.[9]

 
Gray-banded kingsnake, "blairi " morph.

Conservation edit

L. alterna is regionally protected in New Mexico and Mexico. Texas does not have any regional protections, due to the number of reports in the area. Some believe that the number of reports in Texas is due to the accessibility of the region for amateur American herpetologists. In Mexico, much of the range is believed to be safe due to the low levels of human habitation, although the extreme Southern portion of the range has seen high levels of human habitation and is considered to be extremely degraded. Global warming is a mild concern, as fewer monsoons come into the area, causing more competition for water. [8]

Captivity edit

Gray-banded kingsnakes are commonly kept in captivity and are fairly easy to come by in the exotic pet trade. Due to their relatively small size, calm dispositions, and astounding array of pattern variations they are frequently captive bred. Many alterna breeders are strict about keeping locality bloodlines pure, and will only breed snakes from the same region, though as market demand decreases, this is becoming less and less important to some breeders. Cross breeding with other species of kingsnake, like the Nuevo León kingsnake, Lampropeltis leonis is fairly common as well.

References edit

  1. ^ Hammerson GA, Santos-Barrera G (2007). Lampropeltis alterna. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2.
  2. ^ "Lampropeltis alterna". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Conant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8. (paperback). (Lampropeltis mexicana alterna, pp. 210-211 + Plate 32 + Map154).
  4. ^ Barringer, Jeff (1998). A Short History of the Lampropeltis alterna (Gray-banded Kingsnake). Kingsnake.com. Retrieved on 2013-01-02.
  5. ^ Brown, Arthur Erwin (1901). "A New Species of Ophibolus from Western Texas". Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 53 (3): 612–613. (Ophibolus alternus, new species, Plate XXXIV).
  6. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Lampropeltis alterna blairi, p. 26).
  7. ^ Grey-Banded King Snake Care Sheet. TheKingSnake.co.uk. Retrieved on 2013-01-02.
  8. ^ a b Hanson, Robert; Salmon, Gerard (30 December 2017). "Distribution analysis, taxonomic updates, and conservation status of the Lampropeltis mexicana group" (PDF). Mesoamerican Herpetology. 4 (4): 700–758. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  9. ^ Herps of Texas: Lampropeltis alterna. Zo.utexas.edu. Retrieved on 2013-01-02.

External links edit

  • The Alterna Page

Further reading edit

  • Flury, Alvin (1950). "A New King Snake from Trans-Pecos Texas". Copeia 1950 (3): 215–217. (Lampropeltis blairi, new species).
  • Powell, Robert; Conant, Roger; Collins, Joseph T. (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Lampropeltis alterna, p. 375 + Plate 34).
  • Ruane, Sara; Bryson, Robert W.; Pyron, R. Alexander; Burbrink, Frank T. (2014). "Coalescent Species Delimitation in Milksnakes (Genus Lampropeltis) and Impacts on Phylogenetic Comparative Analyses". Systematic Biology 63 (2): 231–250.
  • Schmidt, Karl P.; Davis, D. Dwight (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Lampropeltis alterna, p. 170).
  • Stebbins, Robert C. (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. xiii + 533 pp. ISBN 978-0-395-98272-3. (Lampropeltis alterna, pp. 369–370 + Plate 44 + Map 151).
  • Wright, Albert Hazen; Wright, Anna Allen (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press. 1,105 pp. (in two volumes). (Lampropeltis alterna, pp. 337–342, Map 31 on p. 338 + Figure 103 on p. 346). (Lampropeltis blairi, pp. 343–345, Figure 102 + Map 31 on p. 338).

gray, banded, kingsnake, gray, banded, kingsnake, lampropeltis, alterna, sometimes, referred, alterna, davis, mountain, king, snake, species, nonvenomous, snake, family, colubridae, species, endemic, southwestern, united, states, adjacent, mexico, some, source. The gray banded kingsnake Lampropeltis alterna sometimes referred to as the alterna or the Davis Mountain king snake is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae The species is endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico Some sources list two distinct subspecies of Lampropeltis alterna as L a alterna and L a blairi differentiated by patterning and locale but research has shown them to be color morphs of the same species 4 Gray banded kingsnakeConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataSuborder SerpentesFamily ColubridaeGenus LampropeltisSpecies L alternaBinomial nameLampropeltis alterna A E Brown 1901 Synonyms 2 3 Ophibolus alternus A E Brown 1901 Lampropeltis alterna Stejneger amp Barbour 1917 Lampropeltis blairi Flury 1950 Lampropeltis mexicana blairi Gehlbach amp Baker 1962 Lampropeltis mexicana alterna Conant 1975 Lampropeltis alterna blairi Crother 2000 Lampropeltis alterna Wallach et al 2014 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Behavior 5 Diet 6 Reproduction 7 Conservation 8 Captivity 9 References 10 External links 11 Further readingTaxonomy editArthur Erwin Brown described the species in 1901 5 The color morph blairi formerly specific name or subspecific name blairi is named in honor of American zoologist William Franklin Blair 6 Description edit nbsp A moderately sized snake the gray banded kingsnake can grow up to 4 ft 120 cm in total length including tail with the average total length being 3 ft 91 cm 7 It has a relatively wide head when compared to other kingsnake species and has large eyes with round pupils L alterna coloration and patterning vary greatly but there are two main color morphs which were once considered separate subspecies the blairi which has wide red orange banding and the alterna which has thinner orange red banding Both are generally on a gray background with white and or black accenting There are many variations on this basic morphology found in the wild and captive bred with some specimens even lacking orange or red banding entirely Distribution and habitat editLampropeltis alterna is found in the Trans Pecos Chihuahuan Desert region of southwestern Texas southern New Mexico and northern Mexico The species is closely associated with limestone and volcanic substrates with steep slopes and standard desert scrub 8 Behavior editIn the wild the gray banded kingsnake is not often encountered It is a common species but nocturnal and quite secretive Its natural range is sparsely populated with humans and many regions are virtually impassable due to the mountainous terrain In the field herpetologist community finding this snake in the wild is often considered to be a laudable feat Most that are located are found along the roadways that transect their habitat in the Trans Pecos region L alterna generally has a calm disposition and is not prone to defensive reactions like biting They are non venomous and have an immunity to rattlesnake venom Diet editThe gray banded kingsnake feeds primarily on lizards It will occasionally feed on small rodents frogs and the eggs of ground nesting birds lizards and other snakes nbsp An alterna morph with lizard prey item Reproduction editL alterna is oviparous laying clutches of 3 13 eggs in early summer which hatch in approximately 9 weeks Each hatchling is around 10 in 25 cm in total length 9 nbsp Gray banded kingsnake blairi morph Conservation editL alterna is regionally protected in New Mexico and Mexico Texas does not have any regional protections due to the number of reports in the area Some believe that the number of reports in Texas is due to the accessibility of the region for amateur American herpetologists In Mexico much of the range is believed to be safe due to the low levels of human habitation although the extreme Southern portion of the range has seen high levels of human habitation and is considered to be extremely degraded Global warming is a mild concern as fewer monsoons come into the area causing more competition for water 8 Captivity editGray banded kingsnakes are commonly kept in captivity and are fairly easy to come by in the exotic pet trade Due to their relatively small size calm dispositions and astounding array of pattern variations they are frequently captive bred Many alterna breeders are strict about keeping locality bloodlines pure and will only breed snakes from the same region though as market demand decreases this is becoming less and less important to some breeders Cross breeding with other species of kingsnake like the Nuevo Leon kingsnake Lampropeltis leonis is fairly common as well References edit Hammerson GA Santos Barrera G 2007 Lampropeltis alterna IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2012 2 Lampropeltis alterna The Reptile Database www reptile database org Conant R 1975 A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America Second Edition Boston Houghton Mifflin xviii 429 pp Plates 1 48 ISBN 0 395 19979 4 hardcover ISBN 0 395 19977 8 paperback Lampropeltis mexicana alterna pp 210 211 Plate 32 Map154 Barringer Jeff 1998 A Short History of the Lampropeltis alterna Gray banded Kingsnake Kingsnake com Retrieved on 2013 01 02 Brown Arthur Erwin 1901 A New Species of Ophibolus from Western Texas Proc Acad Nat Sci Philadelphia 53 3 612 613 Ophibolus alternus new species Plate XXXIV Beolens Bo Watkins Michael Grayson Michael 2011 The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press xiii 296 pp ISBN 978 1 4214 0135 5 Lampropeltis alterna blairi p 26 Grey Banded King Snake Care Sheet TheKingSnake co uk Retrieved on 2013 01 02 a b Hanson Robert Salmon Gerard 30 December 2017 Distribution analysis taxonomic updates and conservation status of the Lampropeltis mexicana group PDF Mesoamerican Herpetology 4 4 700 758 Retrieved 3 November 2021 Herps of Texas Lampropeltis alterna Zo utexas edu Retrieved on 2013 01 02 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lampropeltis alterna The Alterna PageFurther reading editFlury Alvin 1950 A New King Snake from Trans Pecos Texas Copeia 1950 3 215 217 Lampropeltis blairi new species Powell Robert Conant Roger Collins Joseph T 2016 Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America Fourth Edition Boston and New York Houghton Mifflin Harcourt xiv 494 pp ISBN 978 0 544 12997 9 Lampropeltis alterna p 375 Plate 34 Ruane Sara Bryson Robert W Pyron R Alexander Burbrink Frank T 2014 Coalescent Species Delimitation in Milksnakes Genus Lampropeltis and Impacts on Phylogenetic Comparative Analyses Systematic Biology 63 2 231 250 Schmidt Karl P Davis D Dwight 1941 Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada New York G P Putnam s Sons 365 pp Lampropeltis alterna p 170 Stebbins Robert C 2003 A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians Third Edition The Peterson Field Guide Series Boston and New York Houghton Mifflin xiii 533 pp ISBN 978 0 395 98272 3 Lampropeltis alterna pp 369 370 Plate 44 Map 151 Wright Albert Hazen Wright Anna Allen 1957 Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada Ithaca and London Comstock Publishing Associates a division of Cornell University Press 1 105 pp in two volumes Lampropeltis alterna pp 337 342 Map 31 on p 338 Figure 103 on p 346 Lampropeltis blairi pp 343 345 Figure 102 Map 31 on p 338 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gray banded kingsnake amp oldid 1141675082, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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