This has happened over a long time through natural selection, over many generations of kingsnakes. The speckled king snakes live for up to 20 years in the wild. Scientists don't know much about the lifespan of wild common kingsnakes. The oldest wild common kingsnake was 9 years old and the oldest in captivity was Habitat: Where do Speckled King Snakes live. These reptiles can live in diverse habitats like prairies, brushy areas, forest edges, rocky, wooded hillsides.
They also share their space with humans including in the farms, open fields, swampy or forested areas, and even in towns. The speckled king snakes docile by nature, often striking only one or two times after capture. They are very active, when it comes to foraging and would trace their prey by scent, following out like hound dogs. Speckled kingsnakes are mostly diurnal , and are active between April and October.
In Kansas they have been found to be most active in April and May. They evade the hot temperatures by becoming active during nighttime in the summer months. They are opportunistic feeders. As and when they find a prey, they would consume by seizing, and then constricting it , stopping the flow of blood.
They have a significant contribution to the ecosystem by keeping the population of other snakes and rodents in check. Those that are bred in captivity are normally prone to remain calm throughout their lives. Individuals caught in the wild have an unpredictable nature that might range from aggressive freaks to completely gentle ones.
These snakes are not known to be good climbers. Though these snakes do not take long to calm down in captivity, they have a bad reputation for being more aggressive than many other species of American kingsnakes.
Although, in the long run, it is more likely that they would calm down upon frequent handling, and surrender themselves as decent pets. Hence, for petting, snake experts recommend captive bred specimens over the ones that are collected from the wild. Once the prey has succumbed, how do they consume whole animals larger than they are?
Kingsnakes like to soak in a bowl of water, so it helps if the water bowl you provide your snake is big enough for it to fully submerge in. Also ensure there is a humid hide filled with sphagnum moss that your snake can go in. Once the skin is loose enough they will rub their head along the accessories rocks, hides etc in the enclosure, and once the skin has come away from the head they will crawl out of the rest of the skin by rolling it inside out as they move.
Your snakes skin should come off all in one piece providing the humidity in your enclosure is correct. Make sure to check if any skin is left stuck to your snake as it can cause infection or the skin underneath to die. The eye caps are a common thing to get stuck so check the head of the shed skin to ensure the snake has properly removed these.
If you find some stuck shed, you can bathe your snake in luke warm water and try to remove the skin. Please only attempt this if you know what you are doing, otherwise seek professional advice, as you can easily do more harm than good if inexperienced. So if you have a snake which is 6ft long your enclosure should be 4ft long, 2ft wide and 2ft high. These snakes are naturally very active, so they do appreciate a bigger vivarium with plenty of decor to climb on and explore. Make sure your enclosure is completely escape proof and double check there are no gaps that your snake can squeeze through.
Provide plenty of places for your kingsnake to hide in on both the warm and cool end of the enclosure, such as half logs etc, making sure that the hide is not too big and your snake can just comfortably fit in to reduce stress.
Also include lots of branches and ledges for them to climb. You can use newspaper, kitchen roll, aspen shavings or reptile carpet for a substrate. Always use a reptile specific substrate as certain woods such as cedar or redwood shavings are toxic for your snake. As these snakes love to be near water and are great swimmers it would be a good idea to try and include a container of water which is big enough for your snake to fully submerge in. Recent Articles. Featured Products. Speckled King Snake — Lampropeltis getula holbrooki Description First discovered in the speckled king snake also known as the salt and pepper snake is a subspecies of the common king snake.
Adult Size The speckled kingsnake will usually grow to an average of 4ft long, but given the correct care some have been known to reach lengths of around 5ft. Life Span Speckled kingsnakes live for around years on average Natural Habitat Native to central and southern areas of America, from Iowa to the Gulf of Mexico, the speckled kingsnake prefers to live in damp conditions than the other kingsnakes and can mainly be found living in swamps, marshes, woodlands, open fields, pastures and beside rivers or near water.
Breeding Speckled kingsnakes reach sexual maturity at around 2 years old, but many breeders prefer to go by the weights of their snakes to judge when they are ready to breed. Diet Speckled kingsnakes are carnivores that kill their prey in the wild by constricting wrapping their body around their food and squeezing until it stops breathing and should mainly be given thawed out frozen mice or chicks as a treat.
Temperament Kingsnakes in general are said to be a be a bit nippy to begin with, but with regular handling they should quickly become placid and friendly once they realise you are not a threat. Females lay usually 6—14 eggs during the summer, and the young hatch in late summer. Snakes have always captured the imaginations of humans. In myth, religion, and story, snakes perform the role of seducer, sneak, guardian, healer, killer, and transformer. On a more practical level, snakes help humans by consuming many rodents that are injurious to our interests.
As a predator, this snake helps keep populations of other animals in check. And although it can defend itself by biting, by vibrating its tail ominously, and by smearing a stinky musk on attackers, this snake can be eaten by other predators. The eggs and young are especially vulnerable. Speckled Kingsnake. Field Guide Aquatic Invertebrates.
Butterflies and Moths. Land Invertebrates. Reptiles and Amphibians. Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines. Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants. Scientific Name. Common Name Synonyms. Habitat and Conservation The speckled kingsnake lives in a wide variety of habitats: prairies, brushy areas, forest edges, rocky, wooded hillsides, and along the edges of swamps or marshes.
Food Foods include small rodents, lizards, and other snakes, including venomous species such as copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes.
Status Common. Life Cycle Life Cycle.
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