California kingsnake
Lampropeltis californiae
— Where the name comes from
Lampropeltis is “shining shields”, from lamprós and péltē, for the smooth enamelled scales that catch the light like paint. The title of king, in English kingsnake, is not an aesthetic compliment but a statement of rank: it eats other snakes, rattlesnakes included, and is immune to their venom.
— Facts
- Group
- Reptiles · Reptilia
- Order
- Squamates
- Habitat
- Deserts, grassland, woodland, farmland, suburbs
- Range
- California, Nevada, Arizona, north-western Mexico
- Size
- 90–120 cm, up to 180 cm; 300–800 g
- Diet
- Snakes, lizards, rodents, eggs, birds
- Lifespan
- 20 years
— Characteristics
- 01
It is immune to rattlesnake venom and eats them regularly.
- 02
The pattern of white and black rings varies enormously from place to place.
- 03
Disturbed, it vibrates its tail and can pass for a rattlesnake.
— What sets it apart
It squeezes harder than any other snake its size. Measuring the pressure exerted by the coils showed that this species and its relatives develop nearly twice the force per unit of body weight of boas and pythons, and that they can hold it while the prey struggles — which is necessary when the prey is another snake as long as you are, with a mouthful of venom. The advantage is not power itself but constancy: the victim never gets a single instant to get free.
