Speckled Kingsnake

Speckled Kingsnake - Lampropeltis getula holbrooki

These two mating kingsnakes were found after a thunder storm in Covington, Louisiana. The male and female speckled kingsnakes remained inter-twined for almost an hour before very slowly crawling back into their hole in the ground by the PVC pipe. You can see kingsnakes inching toward their snake hole as the photos progress.

The speckled kingsnake is found in the central to southern USA from Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico. Speckled kingsnakes grow to approximately 6 feet long. The speckled kingsnake's common name is derived from the scale coloring, which is black, with small yellow-white specks on almost every scale.

Kingsnakes constrict to kill their prey and eat rodents, lizards, other snakes, birds, and eggs. The kingsnake is highly resistant to the venom of other snakes and are known to eat water moccasin, copperheads, cottonmouth and rattlesnakes. The "king" in the name is a reference to their ability to overpower other snakes.

The kingsnake is typically docile and commonly kept as pets. Kingsnakes frequently bred in captivity.