King snake

Kingsnakes are colubrid New World constrictors, members of the genus Lampropeltis, which include milk snakes and four other species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized. Lampropeltis in Greek means 'shiny shield', a name given to them in reference to their smooth dorsal scales. Kingsnake species inhabit the Americas from southeastern Canada to southern Ecuador. The several species vary widely in size and coloration. Adult scarlet kingsnakes are typically 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) in length, while the common kingsnake can grow to 1.8 m (6 ft). 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. Kingsnakes use constriction to kill their prey and tend to be opportunistic in their diet; they eat other snakes (ophiophagy), including venomous snakes. Kingsnakes also eat lizards, rodents, birds, and eggs. 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. The 'king' in the name (as with the king cobra) refers to this preying on other snakes. Kingsnakes such as the California kingsnake can exert twice as much constriction force relative to body size as ratsnakes and pythons. Scientists believe such strong coils may be an adaptation to snake and other reptile prey, which can sustain lower blood-oxygen levels before asphyxiating. Most kingsnakes have quite vibrant patterns on their skins. 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 the coral snake and its nonvenomous lookalikes in the United States is 'Red on black, friend of Jack; red on yellow, kill a fellow.' (Other variations include 'Red on yellow kills a fellow. Red on black venom lack.' and 'Yellow, Red, Stop!', referencing the order of traffic lights. F) Both mnemonics apply only to coral snakes native to North America: Micrurus fulvius (eastern or common coral snake), Micrurus tener (Texas coral snake), and Micruroides euryxanthus (Arizona coral snake), found in the southern and western United States. Coral snakes found in other parts of the world can have distinctly different patterns, have red bands touching black bands, have only pink and blue banding, or have no banding at all.