Common Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula
Also called: eastern kingsnake, chain snake
A glossy black snake with narrow white chain-like bands that eats other snakes, including venomous ones, and is harmless to people.
- Kind
- Harmless Lookalikes
- Typical length
- 3 to 4.5 feet
- Range
- The southeastern and south-central U.S. from New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas, with related kingsnakes in the Southwest
- Regions
- Southeast, Midwest & Plains, Southwest
- Habitat
- Woods & forest, Grass & prairie, Water & wetlands
- When active
- Spring through fall, active by day
Note: Kingsnakes can bite hard if handled, and they release a musk. They are not venomous.
How to identify it
- The body is glossy black with narrow white or yellow bands that connect like chain links.
- The head is small and blends into the neck, and the scales are smooth and shiny.
- It is muscular and often rattles its tail when upset.
- Patterns vary by region; some are speckled or striped.
Often confused with
- Black Racer: all black and much faster; no bands.
- Cottonmouth: dark and heavy-bodied, found near water, with a blocky head and no white chain bands.
If you meet one
- Leave it alone. Harmless snakes eat rodents and are useful neighbors, and many are protected by state law.
- Give it room and let it move on. Handling or cornering a snake is how most bites happen, even from harmless ones.
- If you cannot tell for sure what it is, treat it as venomous and walk around it.
Field notes
Kingsnakes kill by constriction and eat lizards, rodents, birds, and other snakes. They are partly resistant to the venom of rattlesnakes and copperheads, which makes them useful neighbors.
Related guides
This page is a general reference, not medical advice and not a substitute for identifying a real snake with an expert. Many snakes are protected by state law, and rules about killing or handling them vary, so check your state wildlife agency; our state resources directory links to each one. For any bite, get emergency care.