They are relatively immune to some types of snake venom, such as the rattlesnake and the coral snake (.
California
king snakes are not poisonous, instead they kill their prey by constriction (. If threatened, king snakes will give off nasty musk and shake their tails. This is another example of batesian mimicry, this time of a rattlesnake.They are also known to itch, although their bite is not poisonous to humans. Why are these snakes kings? These non-venomous snakes eat their competition to eat. Real snakes specialize in hunting other snakes, including others of their kind. They even eat rattlesnakes and are very resistant to rattlesnake venom.
They also consume mice and rats, doing their part to keep the rodent population at bay. Like constrictors, California's king snakes send their prey by winding tightly around it. Snakes have flexible jaws that have loose hinges and stretch to open very widely, allowing them to consume prey larger than their own heads. A king snake whistles, shakes its tail or strikes when it feels threatened.
It can also bend into a ball shape with its head in the center and emit a bad smell through its vent (the opening through which they excrete fecal matter). They are not poisonous or aggressive, but they can bite if surprised or threatened. During the winter, these snakes conserve energy by entering a period similar to hibernation called brumation, during which their metabolism slows down and they become almost inactive. The California king snake is found in most of California, but is absent in the humid redwood area of the extreme northwest coast, the desert of the great northeastern basin, and the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada and other mountain ranges.
According to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, they have smooth scales, a single anal plate, round pupils like most non-venomous snakes, and a spoon-shaped head with a rounded jaw. Real snakes can only reach a maximum length of 6 feet or 182 centimeters, but usually grow between 3 and 4.5 feet. Diet The California royal snake is a constrictor and eats small mammals, lizards, lizard eggs, snakes (including rattlesnakes), snake eggs, turtle eggs and young, frogs, salamanders, birds, eggs and chicks of birds and large invertebrates. In Latin America, there are many different coral snakes with a multitude of this combination of red, black, yellow and white.
Most California real snakes have white bands, but some populations have longitudinal stripes that run from head to tail. While scientists used to determine species and subspecies classifications by examining whether snakes could interbreed and produce fertile offspring, they can now analyze DNA to determine how closely related snakes are. “Black king snakes look almost solidly jet black, but they have traces of white or yellow spots or bands and sometimes white throats,” Savitzky said. Due to its ease of care and a wide range of color variations, the California royal snake is one of the most popular snakes in captivity.
The California king snake is a kind of catemic snake; it can be active day or night, depending on the ambient temperature. They are even predators of venomous snakes because they can withstand the toxins that most venomous snakes have. King snakes are adored for their bright, beautiful and vibrant colors, mostly with red, black and white stripes. These snakes average 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) in length and range from southern Ohio and western West Virginia to southeastern Illinois and south to northeastern Mississippi and northwest Georgia, according to Outdoor Alabama, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website.
California king snakes generally eat small animals such as mice, rats, lizards, frogs, and other snakes. Moving further west, you see the weak spots of the black royal snake that become the vibrant and full marks of the speckled king serpent. .
