Lampropeltis getula
Eastern Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula getula )
The Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula ) is a species of snake in the family of snakes that occurs in the United States and Mexico.
Features
The Kingsnake is about 150 centimeters, at most about two meter long snake. Her head is oval and hardly separated from the neck. The pupil of the great eye is round. The basic color is black with bright drawings, which differ depending on the subspecies. However, the transitions are fluid, also Verbastardisierungen come between the subspecies frequently, which makes the precise definition according to morphological criteria difficult.
The nominate (L. g getula ) has 15-44 transverse bands on white to yellowish color, which combine to form a chain-like pattern. The belly is mottled or banded. The head has between six and eight, and nine Supralabialschilde rare ten Infralabialschilde. The fuselage has a center 21, very rarely 23 oblique rows of scales, 203-238 Ventralschilde, 38-58 Subkaudalschilde and an undivided anal shield.
The California Kingsnake (L. g californiae ) is dark brown to black with white or yellow transverse bands. A coloring variant has a longitudinal tape at the center back of the same color as the cross bands. The snakes of the genus Lampropeltis are now available in many color forms. In addition to natural mutations as albinos are bred by crossing also melanistic and hypomelanistic animals. Specimens with a particularly high proportion of yellow are also referred to as the " Banana King Snakes / Banana phase ". Also known are the color forms Desert Phase, Golden Albino and Lavender. There are both striped and longitudinally striped specimen of Lampropeltis getula californiae.
The Black Kingsnake (L. g nigra) and the Black Desert Kingsnake (L. g nigrita ) are almost completely black with yellow speckles on the individual scales.
In the Florida Kingsnake (L. g floridanus ) the scales have a bright center. The harness is unclear at this subspecies with age.
When spotted Kingsnake (L. g holbrooki ) the harness is at most or implied, for the individual scales are whitish to greenish mottled.
Dissemination
The Kingsnake comes from in the eastern and southeastern states of the USA and in Mexico before. It inhabits forests, scrub, farmland or hanging with hiding from the plains up to 800 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Kingsnakes live hidden and remove rarely far from their hiding places. If they can not flee during an attack, they can squirt a foul-smelling liquid. When prey are small mammals, birds, young turtles, snakes (even venomous species! ) And lizards that are strangled.
In cooler climates hibernate Kingsnakes three to six months. Mating takes place in spring thereafter. From June to August, the clutches are deposited from three to thirty eggs, which hatch 25 to 30 centimeters long juveniles after two to four months.
System
Lampropeltis getula is the oldest described getula type. Due to their drawing was formerly also called chain king snake. Linnaeus was in 1766 still referred to as Coluber getulus. The taxonomic classification has changed several times since. Since 2009 Lampropeltis getula subject to the species status and was with subtypes such as " floridana ( brooksi ) meansi and getula getula " summarized.
Until then, several subspecies were described:
- California Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula californiae, ( Blainville ), 1835)
- Florida Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula floridana, Blanchard, 1919)
- Eastern Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula getula, ( Linnaeus), 1766 )
- Speckled Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis holbrooki getula, Stejneger, 1902)
- Black Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula nigra ( Yarrow ), 1882)
- Black Desert Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula nigrita doubt and Norris, 1955)
- Desert Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis splendida getula, Baird and Girard, 1853)
- Outer Banks Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula sticticeps Barbour and Engels, 1942)
Swell
- Ludwig Trutnau: Non-toxic snakes, Part 2 4th Edition. Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3223-0.