Yellow-bellied kingsnake
The Prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) is a nonvenomous species of kingsnake native to North America. Kingsnakes are often preyed upon large birds of prey, however, a considerable threat also comes from other kingsnakes. All species of kingsnakes are known snake- and reptile-eaters, and likely won't turn down a chance to prey on their local competitors.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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SolitaryHi
HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Prairie kingsnake is light brown or grey in color, with dark grey, dark brown, or reddish-brown blotching down the length of their bodies. Some specimens have their markings faded, to appear almost a solid brown color. Juveniles usually have a brown stripe down the back of their bodies. They have two black spots behind the head and smaller black spots down the back on both sides of the stripe.
Prairie kingsnakes are found throughout the midwestern and southeastern United States, from Nebraska to Maryland, Florida to Texas. They inhabit open grassland with loose, dry soil, typically on the edge of a forested region, not far from a permanent source of water, in prairies, rocky hillsides, abandoned structures, underneath logs, debris, and inside of tree trunks.
Prairie kingsnakes are solitary secretive creatures that spend most of the day hiding under rocks, logs, or in abandoned burrows. If disturbed they will shake their tail, which if in dry leaf litter can sound remarkably like a rattlesnake. They are not typically prone to biting, and if handled will often excrete a foul-smelling musk. When threatened, they flatten and appear to have white spots. Prairie kingsnakes typically hunt by day but during summer months they become more active at night. They are constrictors and kill their prey by quickly suffocating it; small prey, however, is usually swallowed whole.
Prairie kingsnakes are carnivores. Their diet consists primarily of rodents, but they will also consume lizards, frogs, and occasionally other snakes.
Prairie kingsnakes breed in early spring when they emerge from winter dormancy. Females lay 5 to 18 eggs which usually hatch 7-11 weeks later.
There are no major threats facing Prairie kingsnakes at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Prairie kingsnake total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
