The Prairie Kingsnake is a species of Kingsnake that is native to much of Central and Eastern United States. They are often called the Yellow-Bellied Kingsnake.
Prairie Kingsnake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Prairie Kingsnake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Corn Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The Prairie Kingsnake belongs to the Lampropeltis genus. This genus contains the New World Kingsnakes and Milk Snakes.
Some other species in the Lampropeltis genus include the Mexican Milk Snake, the Grey Banded Kingsnake, the Nuevo Leone Kingsnake, the Scarlet Kingsnake and the Speckled Kingsnake.
The Kingsnake gets its name from the fact that they often eat other snakes, including Rattlesnakes. Similarly, the King Cobra gets its name from its tendency to also eat other snakes.
The scientific name ‘Lampropeltis’ comes from the Greek words ‘lampro’ and ‘pelte’ which loosely translates to ‘shiny shield’. This is a reference to these snake’s smooth, enamel-like dorsal scales.
Species
The scientific name for the Prairie Kingsnake is Lampropeltis calligaster. It is sometimes referred to as the Yellow-Bellied Kingsnake.
There are 3 recognised sub-species of Prairie Kingsnake, the nominate species (Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster), the South Florida Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster occipitolineata), and the Northern Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster rhombomaculata).
Prairie Kingsnake Description
The Prairie Kingsnake is a relatively small species of snake. They typically grow to around 3 foot in length and have a slender build.
They are generally light brown or grey in colour. They have darker blotches that run the length of their body. These blotches are typically dark brown or reddish-brown in colour.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Prairie Kingsnake has a large geographical distribution. They can be found throughout the Midwestern United States right across to Southern Florida.
They can be found in a large number of states including Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and Sout Carolina.
These snakes are very secretive by nature and will spend most of their time hiding under logs or fallen trees. They will generally hide under any form of debris that will give them security.
They like to live in open grassland where they are often found near the edge of forested areas. This may provide them with a sense of security if they feal a threat is nearby.
Prairie Kingsnake Behaviour
These snakes are non-venomous and completely harmless to humans. However, if you attempt to pick one up, they may bite. These bites are nothing to worry about but may draw a little bit of blood.
Like many snakes in the region, if they feel threatened, they will vibrate their tail against the ground. This sounds very like a Rattlesnake and is intended to intimidate a potential threat.
The Prairie Kingsnake has a diet that consists primarily of rodents. However, they are also known to eat frogs, lizards and even other snakes.
