A lot of people think that all snakes are bad. Others get a little too comfortable with them. Well, the common kingsnake, Lampropeltis Getula, is a snake someone would want on their property. The common kingsnake can grow up to 3 to 6 feet long. This snake has a variety of colors and patterns. The most popular pattern is chocolate brown/black and white stripes. Some other common kingsnakes can also be one color like black or brown. This snake also has the ability to burrow under rocks and logs. But they are also excellent climbers and swimmers. Common kingsnakes are non-venomous and are sometimes confused with the coral snake which is venomous. Common kingsnakes are also active hunters during the day and afternoon.

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The common kingsnakes hunt in the day and afternoon when most small animals are active. the common kingsnake eats mice, birds, frogs, birds, and reptile eggs. It even eats rattle snakes. Since the common kingsnake is non-venomous, it kills its prey by constriction. Constriction is when a snake wraps itself around its prey. Common kingsnakes are known as the "king of snakes" because they eat rattle snakes. A common kingsnake also has many predators. The kingsnake falls prey to hawks, roadrunners, badgers, and racoons. The common kingsnake has various defense mechanisms like hissing, rolling up into a ball and playing dead. They mimic a rattle snake by vibrating its tail, striking and biting, giving off a bad smell, or even a fecal smear.

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Common kingsnakes live almost anywhere. the only location where they are not found is in extremely cold climates. Common kingsnakes prefer warm, grassy, wet or dry climates. They are mostly found in forests, woodlands, marshes, grasslands, and deserts. Common kingsnakes are also very popular on country side turf, eating away all the unwanted animals like rats, mice and rattlesnakes.

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In all, common kingsnakes are sometimes confused with the coral snake, but are harmless to humans. They are non-venomous and catch prey by constricting. The common kingsnake wards off predators with their unique defenses like mimicking a rattlesnake or playing dead. Lastly, the common kingsnake gets its name as the "king of snakes" because they are brave enough to devour a rattle snake.

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Author: Alejandra P

Published: 03/2010

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Sources: www.healtscout.com www.desertusa.com www.wikipedia.org

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Photo Credit: Dawson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lampropeltis_getula_getula.jpg