Lampropeltis getula

Also known as Common Kingsnake, Chain Kingsnake, Chain Snake, Eastern Chain Snake

Eastern kingsnakes are famous for their natural immunity to pit viper venom, allowing them to regularly hunt and eat rattlesnakes and copperheads alongside small mammals and bird eggs. Draped in glossy black scales accented by bright white or yellow chain-like bands, these smooth-scaled constrictors rely on sheer muscular force to subdue their prey. Active mainly during cool mornings in spring and autumn, they transition to nocturnal foraging during the high heat of summer.