The
Black Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula nigra in its
purest form, is a beautiful snake. As the name suggests,
this is basically a smooth scaled black snake with a glossy
shine, and depending on the locality, it may have varying
degrees of pattern dorsally with some individuals lacking
pattern all together.
It
has been our observations that there is a distinct tendency
for those populations from upland habitats (above)
to be the darkest, while the lowland populations (right)
are more apt to retain more of the juvenile pattern.
Photo by Phil Peak
Photo by Phil Peak
The
ventral coloration can vary from white to yellow with
a good amount of irregular black markings intersperced
throughout. This light coloration extends up the sides
to a lesser or greater extent depending on the individual.
The
Black Kingsnake is intermediate in size for a common kingsnake.
The official record length according to the Peterson field
guide of Reptiles and Amphibians list 58" as the
record size. Here is a large one pictured with Phil Peak's
son Alex. Phil Peak and Will Bird have seen a number of
specimens in their home state of Kentucky that they felt
exceeded this length by a fair amount. They plan on using
tubes to field measure some of the larger Black Kingsnakes
that they find, hoping to document a new
record length for this subspecies. (follow the
link for an update!)
