fbpx
Wikipedia

Kingsnake

April 13, 2024

For the DC Comics supervillain, see King Snake.

Kingsnakes are colubrid New World members of the genus Lampropeltis, which includes 26 species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized. They are nonvenomous and ophiophagous in diet.

Kingsnakes
Temporal range: Miocene – recent
↓
[1]
Scarlet kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Tribe: Lampropeltini
Genus: Lampropeltis
Fitzinger, 1843
Synonyms

Ablabes, Bellophis, Herpetodryas, Ophibolus, Osceola, Phibolus, Pseudelaps, Zacholus

Description edit

Kingsnakes vary widely in size and coloration. They can be as small as 24" (61 cm) or as long as 60" (152 cm).[2] Some kingsnakes are colored in muted browns to black, while others are brightly marked in white, reds, yellows, grays, and lavenders that form rings, longitudinal stripes, speckles, and saddle-shaped bands.[3]

Most kingsnakes have quite vibrant patterns. Some species, such as the scarlet kingsnake, Mexican milk snake, and red milk snake, have coloration and patterning that can cause them to be confused with the highly venomous coral snakes. One of the mnemonic rhymes to help people distinguish between coral snakes and their nonvenomous lookalikes in the United States is "red on black, a friend of Jack; red on yellow, kill a fellow". Other variations include "red on yellow kill a fellow, red on black venom lack",[4][5] and referencing the order of traffic lights "yellow, red, stop!" All these mnemonics apply only to the three species of coral snakes native to the southern United States: Micrurus fulvius (the eastern or common coral snake), Micrurus tener (the Texas coral snake), and Micruroides euryxanthus (the Arizona coral snake). Coral snakes found in other parts of the world can have distinctly different patterns, such as having red bands touching black bands, having only pink and blue bands, or having no bands at all.

Etymology edit

Lampropeltis includes the Greek words for "shiny shield":[6] λαμπρός lampro(s) ("shiny") + πέλτη pelt(ē) ("peltē shield") + -is (a Latin suffix). The name is given to them in reference to their smooth, enamel-like dorsal scales.[7]

The "king" in the common name (as with the king cobra) refers to its preying on other snakes.[8]

Taxonomy edit

Taxonomic reclassification of kingsnakes, as with many herpetiles and other animals, is a neverending process. Unexpected hybridization between kingsnake species and/or subspecies with adjacent home territories is not uncommon, thus creating new color morphs and variations, and further providing classification challenges for taxonomists; Often, different researchers will “agree to disagree”, one potentially citing a source that proves independent species-status to a group of wild snakes, while another will set out to prove that a discovered group is but a regional subspecies.[citation needed]

In the case of L. catalinensis, for example, only a single specimen is known, thus classification is not necessarily finite; this individual could be the lone uniquely-colored snake out of a more uniformly-colored litter, or even be the one documented example of a presently-unknown, localized subspecies. The entire system actively unfolding indefinitely.[citation needed]

Range edit

Kingsnakes are native to North America, where they are found all over the United States and into Mexico. This genus has adapted to a wide variety of habitats, including tropical forests, shrublands, and deserts. As a whole, kingsnakes are found coast-to-coast across North America, with some as far north as Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, Illinois and Ohio; south of those areas, there are kingsnakes to be found in nearly every corner of the lower-48 United States. Kingsnakes are also found virtually coast-to-coast across México, all the way down to the México-Guatemala border. Further south from there, milksnakes become the more predominant kingsnake in Central America, such as the Honduran milk snake.

Predators edit

Kingsnakes are often preyed upon by large vertebrates, such as birds of prey. Tarantulas also sometimes prey on them; however, a considerable threat also comes from other kingsnakes. All species of kingsnakes are known snake- and reptile-eaters, and likely won't turn down a chance to prey on their local competitors.[9]

Behavior and diet edit

Kingsnakes are primarily terrestrial, but they are also known to be capable climbers and swimmers.

Kingsnakes use constriction to kill their prey and tend to be opportunistic in their diet. They are known to seek out and eat other snakes (ophiophagy), including venomous snakes, like rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, hognoses and copperheads. Some known non-venomous prey species of the kingsnake include gopher snakes, corn snakes, bullsnakes, garter snakes, rosy boa, water snakes, and brown snakes. Kingsnakes also eat many species of lizards, rodents, birds, and eggs.[10] The common kingsnake is known to be immune to the venom of other snakes and does eat rattlesnakes, but it is not necessarily immune to the venom of snakes from different localities.[10]

Kingsnakes such as the California kingsnake can exert twice as much constriction force relative to body size as rat snakes and pythons. Scientists believe that such strong coils may be an adaptation to eating snakes, and other reptile prey, which can endure lower blood-oxygen levels before asphyxiating.[11]

List of kingsnake species and subspecies edit

 
Mole kingsnake (Lampropeltis rhombomaculata)
 
California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)
 
Eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula)
 
Speckled kingsnake (Lampropeltis holbrooki)

Kingsnake species and subspecies include (listed here alphabetically by specific and subspecific name):[12]

Additionally, Pyron and Burbrink have argued that the short-tailed snake (Stilosoma extenuatum) (Brown, 1890) should be included in Lampropeltis.[13]

References edit

  1. ^ "Fossilworks: Lampropeltis".
  2. ^ Markel, Ronald G. (1990). Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. ISBN 9780866226646.
  3. ^ 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. pp. 375–381. ISBN 978-0544662-490.
  4. ^ Life's Better Outdoors, South Carolina Department of natural resources 2015-06-30 at the Wayback Machine (see FAQ's. -- "are there any visual clues"). Retrieved July 15, 2015
  5. ^ Ignatavicius, Donna D.; Workman, M. Linda (2015). Medical-Surgical Nursing: Patient-Centered Collaborative Care, Eighth Edition. (pages 141-142)
  6. ^ "Lampropeltis". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
  7. ^ Tennant, Alan (2006). Lone Star Field Guide to Texas Snakes. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-4616-3564-2. the smooth dorsal scales have an enamel-like surface to which the genus' Latin name, Lampropeltis, or "shining skin shield," refers.
  8. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the : "King snake vs Rattlesnake Oro Valley Az". YouTube. 2015-12-12.
  9. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the : "Spider vs snake". YouTube.
  10. ^ a b Conant, Roger (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 429 pp.
    ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Genus Lampropeltis, p. 201.)
  11. ^ . 2017-03-15. Archived from the original on March 16, 2017.
  12. ^ Genus Lampropeltis at The Reptile Database
  13. ^ Pyron, R. Alexander; Frank T. Burbrink (2009). "Neogene diversification and taxonomic stability in the snake tribe Lampropeltini (Serpentes: Colubridae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52(#2):524-529.

Further reading edit

  • Hubbs, Brian (2009). Common Kingsnakes: A Natural History of Lampropeltis getula. Tempe, Arizona: Tricolor Books.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lampropeltis.
  • Desert USA: Common Kingsnake
  • Common Kingsnake - Lampropeltis getula Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide
  • Kingsnake eating a garter snake

April 13, 2024
kingsnake, comics, supervillain, king, snake, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, book. For the DC Comics supervillain see King Snake This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Kingsnake news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2011 Learn how and when to remove this template message Kingsnakes are colubrid New World members of the genus Lampropeltis which includes 26 species Among these about 45 subspecies are recognized They are nonvenomous and ophiophagous in diet KingsnakesTemporal range Miocene recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N 1 Scarlet kingsnake Lampropeltis elapsoides Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataSuborder SerpentesFamily ColubridaeTribe LampropeltiniGenus LampropeltisFitzinger 1843SynonymsAblabes Bellophis Herpetodryas Ophibolus Osceola Phibolus Pseudelaps Zacholus Contents 1 Description 2 Etymology 3 Taxonomy 4 Range 5 Predators 6 Behavior and diet 7 List of kingsnake species and subspecies 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksDescription editKingsnakes vary widely in size and coloration They can be as small as 24 61 cm or as long as 60 152 cm 2 Some kingsnakes are colored in muted browns to black while others are brightly marked in white reds yellows grays and lavenders that form rings longitudinal stripes speckles and saddle shaped bands 3 Most kingsnakes have quite vibrant patterns Some species such as the scarlet kingsnake Mexican milk snake and red milk snake have coloration and patterning that can cause them to be confused with the highly venomous coral snakes One of the mnemonic rhymes to help people distinguish between coral snakes and their nonvenomous lookalikes in the United States is red on black a friend of Jack red on yellow kill a fellow Other variations include red on yellow kill a fellow red on black venom lack 4 5 and referencing the order of traffic lights yellow red stop All these mnemonics apply only to the three species of coral snakes native to the southern United States Micrurus fulvius the eastern or common coral snake Micrurus tener the Texas coral snake and Micruroides euryxanthus the Arizona coral snake Coral snakes found in other parts of the world can have distinctly different patterns such as having red bands touching black bands having only pink and blue bands or having no bands at all Etymology editLampropeltis includes the Greek words for shiny shield 6 lampros lampro s shiny pelth pelt e pelte shield is a Latin suffix The name is given to them in reference to their smooth enamel like dorsal scales 7 The king in the common name as with the king cobra refers to its preying on other snakes 8 Taxonomy editTaxonomic reclassification of kingsnakes as with many herpetiles and other animals is a neverending process Unexpected hybridization between kingsnake species and or subspecies with adjacent home territories is not uncommon thus creating new color morphs and variations and further providing classification challenges for taxonomists Often different researchers will agree to disagree one potentially citing a source that proves independent species status to a group of wild snakes while another will set out to prove that a discovered group is but a regional subspecies citation needed In the case of L catalinensis for example only a single specimen is known thus classification is not necessarily finite this individual could be the lone uniquely colored snake out of a more uniformly colored litter or even be the one documented example of a presently unknown localized subspecies The entire system actively unfolding indefinitely citation needed Range editKingsnakes are native to North America where they are found all over the United States and into Mexico This genus has adapted to a wide variety of habitats including tropical forests shrublands and deserts As a whole kingsnakes are found coast to coast across North America with some as far north as Montana North Dakota New Jersey Illinois and Ohio south of those areas there are kingsnakes to be found in nearly every corner of the lower 48 United States Kingsnakes are also found virtually coast to coast across Mexico all the way down to the Mexico Guatemala border Further south from there milksnakes become the more predominant kingsnake in Central America such as the Honduran milk snake Predators editKingsnakes are often preyed upon by large vertebrates such as birds of prey Tarantulas also sometimes prey on them however a considerable threat also comes from other kingsnakes All species of kingsnakes are known snake and reptile eaters and likely won t turn down a chance to prey on their local competitors 9 Behavior and diet editKingsnakes are primarily terrestrial but they are also known to be capable climbers and swimmers Kingsnakes use constriction to kill their prey and tend to be opportunistic in their diet They are known to seek out and eat other snakes ophiophagy including venomous snakes like rattlesnakes cottonmouths hognoses and copperheads Some known non venomous prey species of the kingsnake include gopher snakes corn snakes bullsnakes garter snakes rosy boa water snakes and brown snakes Kingsnakes also eat many species of lizards rodents birds and eggs 10 The common kingsnake is known to be immune to the venom of other snakes and does eat rattlesnakes but it is not necessarily immune to the venom of snakes from different localities 10 Kingsnakes such as the California kingsnake can exert twice as much constriction force relative to body size as rat snakes and pythons Scientists believe that such strong coils may be an adaptation to eating snakes and other reptile prey which can endure lower blood oxygen levels before asphyxiating 11 List of kingsnake species and subspecies edit nbsp Mole kingsnake Lampropeltis rhombomaculata nbsp California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae nbsp Eastern kingsnake Lampropeltis getula getula nbsp Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis holbrooki Kingsnake species and subspecies include listed here alphabetically by specific and subspecific name 12 Guatemalan milk snake Lampropeltis abnorma Bocourt 1886 Gray banded kingsnake Lampropeltis alterna A E Brown 1901 Mexican milk snake Lampropeltis annulata Kennicott 1860 California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae Blainville 1835 Mexican black kingsnake L c nigrita Zweifel amp Norris 1955 Prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster Harlan 1827 Santa Catalina Island kingsnake Lampropeltis catalinensis Van Denburgh amp Slevin 1921 Scarlet kingsnake or scarlet milk snake Lampropeltis elapsoides Holbrook 1838 Short tailed snake Lampropeltis extenuata R E Brown 1890 Central Plains milk snake Lampropeltis gentilis Baird amp Girard 1853 Common kingsnake Lampropeltis getula Linnaeus 1766 Brooks s kingsnake L g brooksi Barbour 1919 Florida kingsnake L g floridana Blanchard 1919 Eastern kingsnake L g getula Linnaeus 1766 Apalachicola Lowlands kingsnake L g meansi Krysko amp Judd 2006 Greer s kingsnake Lampropeltis greeri Webb 1961 Speckled kingsnake Lampropeltis holbrooki Stejneger 1902 Madrean mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis knoblochi Taylor 1940 Nuevo Leon kingsnake Lampropeltis leonis Gunther 1893 Mexican kingsnake Lampropeltis mexicana Garman 1884 Ecuadorian milk snake Lampropeltis micropholis Cope 1860 Black kingsnake Lampropeltis nigra Yarrow 1882 South Florida mole kingsnake Lampropeltis occipitolineata Price 1987 Atlantic Central American milk snake Lampropeltis polyzona Cope 1860 Arizona mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana Cope 1866 Utah mountain kingsnake L p infralabialis W Tanner 1953 Arizona mountain kingsnake L p pyromelana Cope 1866 Mole kingsnake Lampropeltis rhombomaculata Holbrook 1840 Ruthven s kingsnake Lampropeltis ruthveni Blanchard 1920 Desert kingsnake Lampropeltis splendida Baird amp Girard 1853 Milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum Lacepede 1789 Lampropeltis webbi Bryson Dixon amp Lazcano 2005 California mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata Lockington 1876 ex Blainville 1835 San Pedro kingsnake L z agalma Van Denburgh amp Slevin 1923 Todos Santos Island kingsnake L z herrerae Van Denburgh amp Slevin 1923 Sierra Nevada mountain kingsnake L z multicincta Yarrow 1882 Coast Ranges mountain kingsnake L z multifasciata Bocourt 1886 San Bernardino mountain kingsnake L z parvirubra Zweifel 1952 San Diego mountain kingsnake L z pulchra Zweifel 1952 Saint Helena mountain kingsnake L z zonata Lockington 1876 ex Blainville 1835 Additionally Pyron and Burbrink have argued that the short tailed snake Stilosoma extenuatum Brown 1890 should be included in Lampropeltis 13 References edit Fossilworks Lampropeltis Markel Ronald G 1990 Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes T F H Publications Inc ISBN 9780866226646 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 pp 375 381 ISBN 978 0544662 490 Life s Better Outdoors South Carolina Department of natural resources Archived 2015 06 30 at the Wayback Machine see FAQ s are there any visual clues Retrieved July 15 2015 Ignatavicius Donna D Workman M Linda 2015 Medical Surgical Nursing Patient Centered Collaborative Care Eighth Edition pages 141 142 Lampropeltis Merriam Webster com Dictionary Tennant Alan 2006 Lone Star Field Guide to Texas Snakes Taylor Trade Publishing p 193 ISBN 978 1 4616 3564 2 the smooth dorsal scales have an enamel like surface to which the genus Latin name Lampropeltis or shining skin shield refers Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine King snake vs Rattlesnake Oro Valley Az YouTube 2015 12 12 Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine Spider vs snake YouTube a b Conant Roger 1975 A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America Second Edition Boston Houghton Mifflin 429 pp ISBN 0 395 19977 8 paperback Genus Lampropeltis p 201 Snake Kills Bigger Snakes with World s Most Powerful Squeeze 2017 03 15 Archived from the original on March 16 2017 Genus Lampropeltis at The Reptile Database Pyron R Alexander Frank T Burbrink 2009 Neogene diversification and taxonomic stability in the snake tribe Lampropeltini Serpentes Colubridae Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52 2 524 529 Further reading editHubbs Brian 2009 Common Kingsnakes A Natural History of Lampropeltis getula Tempe Arizona Tricolor Books External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lampropeltis Desert USA Common Kingsnake Common Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide Kingsnake eating a garter snake Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kingsnake amp oldid 1192251222, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.