Eastern Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula · Colubridae
Also called: Chain Kingsnake, Common Kingsnake
A powerful, harmless constrictor famous for eating rattlesnakes and copperheads — it is immune to their venom. A homeowner's best natural defense against venomous snakes.
What the Eastern Kingsnake looks like
How to identify it
- 1Glossy black body with thin white or cream chain-link crossbands
- 2Smooth, shiny scales
- 3Stout, muscular build
- 4Round pupils and no rattle
Snakes it's confused with
Solid black with no chain pattern and a slimmer build.
Behavior & danger to humans
May musk and bite if grabbed, but harmless — and it hunts venomous snakes for you.
✓ Good news: Harmless and hugely beneficial: it preys on venomous snakes.
Related snakes
Non-venomousCorn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus
A harmless, beneficial constrictor and one of the most popular pet snakes in the world. Frequently mistaken for the venomous copperhead.
Non-venomousEastern Ratsnake
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
A large, harmless constrictor and one of the best natural rodent controllers around homes and farms. Juveniles are gray and blotched, leading to copperhead confusion.
Non-venomousNorthern Watersnake
Nerodia sipedon
A harmless aquatic snake constantly killed out of fear that it is a cottonmouth. It bites readily when grabbed but has no venom.
Non-venomousScarlet Kingsnake
Lampropeltis elapsoides
A harmless coral snake mimic. Its red bands touch black bands — 'red touches black, friend of Jack' — separating it from the venomous coral snake.