Is the gray-banded king snake venomous?
Also known as the Davis mountain kingsnake, this snake is brightly colored with orange or red-orange bands on a gray background with white or black accents. It is non-venomous and docile. This species is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Do gray-banded kingsnakes make good pets?
The gray-banded kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna) makes a marvelous pet. It does not attain a large size, is usually a good feeder on easily acquired food items, and it exhibits beautiful coloration. With a keeper who prioritizes reptile health and wellness, this species thrives in captivity!
Where do gray-banded kingsnakes live?
Occupying a very small ecological range, these snakes are often difficult to locate in the wild. From a small patch of South West Texas, SouthEast New Mexico and Northern Mexico, Grey Banded King Snakes are found at sea level up to elevations of 8,000 feet.
What poisonous snake looks like a king snake?
coral snake
Scarlet kingsnakes have a tricolored pattern of black, red, white, and various shades of yellow bands that appear to mimic the venomous coral snake in a form of Batesian mimicry.
Are King snakes good to have around?
Kingsnakes, as you may be aware, are famous for making meals of venomous rattlesnakes. They completely harmless (even to kids and dogs) and even nice to look at. Because of their rattlesnake-eating preferences, many homeowners are more than happy to see a kingsnake cruising through the yard.
Do king snakes stay in the same area?
They live in forests, grasslands, suburbia, and rocky areas in fields and deserts. Snakes in wetter areas, such as the eastern and southern United States spend more time around swamps and riverbanks. They are terrestrial, meaning they stay mostly on land rather than venturing into water or trees.
How can you tell the difference between a king snake and a coral snake?
Coloring. All three species share variegated red, black and yellow banding. The easiest way to differentiate kingsnakes from coral snakes is by looking at their coloring: coral snakes have yellow and red bands that touch each other, while black bands always separate the yellow and red bands on kingsnakes.
How big do gray banded king snakes get?
A moderately sized snake, the gray-banded kingsnake can grow up to 4 ft (120 cm) in total length (including tail), with the average total length being 3 ft (91 cm). It has a relatively wide head (when compared to other kingsnake species), and has large eyes with round pupils.
Are gray-banded king snakes poisonous?
The gray-banded kingsnake ( Lampropeltis alterna ), sometimes referred to as the alterna or the Davis Mountain king snake, is a species of non venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico.
What do gray banded king snakes eat?
The gray-banded kingsnake feeds primarily on lizards. It will occasionally feed on small rodents, frogs, and the eggs of ground nesting birds, lizards, and other snakes. An “alterna” morph with lizard prey item. L. alterna is oviparous, laying clutches of 3–13 eggs in early summer, which hatch in approximately 9 weeks.
Do gray-banded king snakes lay eggs or give birth?
The gray-banded kingsnake belongs to the Family of Colubridae, Genus of Lampropeltis, and Species of Alterna. These snakes are oviparous, which means the female gray-banded kingsnake gives birth to eggs, and these eggs take time before hatching.