Snake ID Please

[Ohana]

Originally Posted by Oolie

that's a beautiful king.

they make great pets and get real big.

a word of warning though, since they do feed on rattlers as everyone has been saying, you will want to avoid the bite of a king, since some of the venom will be left in the jaws of the king if he has recently dined on rattlers.

Jimmyz123:

Contrary to what Oolie wrote, as snakes do not chew, there is no chance of any of the rattlesnake venom getting on the kingsnake's teeth and you getting envenomated. As snakes swallow their prey whole, the rattlesnake would already be dead (from constriction) with no way to spread any venom prior to being eaten. You and your family (including your dog) are safe from this snake.

It is still a good idea to teach kids and other family members to hesitate approaching a snake unless you are with someone who knows the local snakes well; some of our harmless snakes look a lot like rattlesnakes, so better to leave them alone unless you are 100% sure that it is harmless.

Also, the kingsnake you pictured has adult coloration; the subspecies in southern Orange County and coastal San Diego County are primarily striped as your picture shows. They are out and about this time of year looking for mates and feeding; later in the year they will be less out an about.

We get them and gopher snakes in our yard a lot this time of year. When I was younger I caught and released a lot of them hiking in the hills.


Kevin