Fauna
Reptile · GBIF taxon 7915678

Speckled Kingsnake

Lampropeltis holbrooki

Also known as Salt and Pepper Snake, Guinea Hen Snake

Speckled kingsnakes cruise prairies, woodland borders, and bottomlands in search of rodents, birds, and other reptiles. Natural immunity to pit viper venom allows them to overpower and consume copperheads and rattlesnakes using tight constricting coils. When confronted, they rapidly vibrate their tail tips against dry leaves to produce a buzz that deters intruders before expelling an oily musk.

ConstrictorOphiophagousTerrestrial
Speckled Kingsnake reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Joseph McPhail, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Copperhead
  • Deer Mouse
  • Common Five-lined Skink
Predators
  • Red-tailed Hawk
  • Coyote
  • Northern Raccoon
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, highway traffic mortality, and agricultural runoff
HabitatsTallgrass prairies, open hardwood forests, rocky glades, and bottomlands
Life span12–20 years
Classification
  1. FamilyColubridae
  2. SpeciesLampropeltis holbrooki
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Non-venomous and docile; safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Field Identification: Look for a shiny black body flecked with a yellow or ivory spot in the center of nearly every dorsal scale.
  • Observation Distance: Stay two to three paces back to watch hunting behavior without prompting defensive coil displays or tail buzzing.
  • Habitat Etiquette: Roll rocks or logs toward your body so any sheltering wildlife can retreat safely, and always place cover back gently.
Related species
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