In our neck of the woods... Speckled Kingsnake

A few days ago, Trish and I were driving home on one of the roads near our property when I spotted a snake crossing in front of us. It was stretched out in the center of our lane, and I managed to drive directly over it without touching it with the tires. Just before passing over it, I recognized the yellow dots over its black background color. Excited, I shouted, "That's a speckled kingsnake!"

I slammed on the brakes, pulled over, and jumped out. By this time, the snake was in the grass beside the road, and I was able to get some photos with my phone.

Why was I so excited? The speckled kingsnake is one of my favorite snake species, and I haven't seen one in the wild for a decade or more. They are beautiful snakes, with exactly one yellow dot on each shiny black scale. Although these snakes act rather feisty when you first approach them, if you pick them up, they quickly calm down and rarely bite. Kingsnakes are NOT venomous.

Kingsnakes are constrictors, meaning they grab their prey, wrap around it, and squeeze. This does not crush the prey. Instead, it simply constrict's the prey animal's chest so that it cannot breathe, and the animal suffocates. Then the snake will swallow the prey animal whole.

If you look closely, notice this kingsnake seems to be missing its right eye, whereas its left eye is fine. This type of injury is surprisingly common in snakes that eat rodents. Mice and rats are tough critters, and they tend to fight back, often getting in a bite or two before being overwhelmed and suffocated by the snake.

Interestingly, kingsnakes, including the speckled kingsnake, regularly prey on other snakes. This includes venomous snakes, and they seem particularly fond of copperheads. This appetite for rodents and venomous snakes makes the kingsnake a friend to many farmers and other rural folks.

Personally, I think they're awesome!