King snakes are non-venomous reptiles found across North America, recognized for their striking patterns and adaptable nature. They inhabit diverse environments, from forests and grasslands to deserts and suburban areas. These snakes typically range from 0.9 to 1.8 meters (3 to 6 feet) in length, though some can exceed 2 meters. Their varied coloration and banding patterns, including black, white, yellow, or brown, help them blend into their surroundings.
Dietary Specialization
King snakes are well-known for their ophiophagous diet, regularly preying on other snakes. This specialized feeding habit is how they earned their name. They consume both venomous and non-venomous snake species.
King snakes prey on venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. Their diet also includes non-venomous species like garter snakes, gopher snakes, corn snakes, hognose snakes, and bullsnakes. This predation helps regulate local snake populations.
Mechanisms of Predation
King snakes subdue prey primarily through constriction, coiling their muscular bodies around the victim until it is incapacitated. This method effectively captures prey, including other snakes. Research indicates king snakes exert significant constriction pressure, cutting off blood flow to the prey’s brain, leading to circulatory and cardiac arrest rather than suffocation.
King snakes exhibit resistance to the venom of many pit vipers, such as rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. This resistance is not absolute immunity but a high degree of tolerance, allowing them to survive bites. Their resistance is attributed to specialized serum proteins and enzymes in their blood that neutralize or inhibit venom components. This evolved resistance is specific to the venoms they typically encounter, enabling them to prey on these dangerous species.
Beyond Ophiophagy: Other Prey
While king snakes are recognized for their snake-eating habits, their diet extends beyond other serpents. They are opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of small animals available in their diverse habitats. Their diet varies based on prey availability.
King snakes regularly include rodents like mice and rats in their diet. They also consume lizards, birds, and bird eggs. In wetter regions, their diet may include amphibians and turtle eggs. Juvenile king snakes often begin by preying on smaller items such as lizards, insects, and frogs, expanding their dietary range as they mature.