Eastern Kingsnake
HarmlessLampropeltis getula · also called chain kingsnake, chain snake
The eastern kingsnake eats other snakes, including copperheads and rattlesnakes, and is substantially immune to pit viper venom. A resident kingsnake is about the best natural deterrent a property can have, which makes killing one distinctly counterproductive.
Quick facts
- Venom
- Harmless, non-venomous, and actively useful — it preys on venomous snakes.
- Adult length
- 36–60 inches (91–152 cm)
- Markings
- Glossy blue-black with narrow cream or yellow bands that fork and join along the sides, forming a chain-link pattern.
- Habitat
- woods, farmland, wetland, suburban
- Family
- colubrid
- Range
- 11 US states
How to identify a eastern kingsnake
- Glossy blue-black with a chain-link pattern of pale bands.
- Smooth, highly polished scales.
- Narrow head barely wider than the neck.
- Active by day, often seen crossing open ground.
What it does when it sees you
Calm and slow-moving. May musk or vibrate its tail if handled, but rarely bites.
What the eastern kingsnake is confused with
One test settles each of these.
Ratsnakes lack the pale chain pattern and have a squared-off body cross-section.
Where it lives
Before anything else
- Back away and leave it alone. A snake that can see you leaving has no reason to bite. Most bites in the United States happen to people who picked up, cornered, or tried to kill a snake.
- Never handle a snake to identify it. Every identification on this site can be made from a photo or from several feet away.
- If someone is bitten, call emergency services now. Keep the limb still and below the heart, remove rings and watches, and go to hospital. Do not cut, suck, apply ice, or use a tourniquet — all of these make outcomes worse.
- Do not try to catch the snake for identification. A photo from a distance is enough, and hospitals treat symptoms rather than species.
In the US, the Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222. This site is a reference, not medical advice.