The view from the ground ranges from grassland, marshland and deserts to chaparral (shrubland) and even suburban areas.ĭiet: Same as the common kingsnake. They inhabit the Tehachapi and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, up to a height (above sea level) of 7,000 ft. Habitat: These snakes like it up high, in cooler climes. Brown to black background with yellowish white markings-either longitudinal stripes or horizontal bands. Location: You guessed it-California, as well as other West Coast states.Īppearance: Similar in pattern and coloration to the common kingsnake, but notably smaller. They are easy to look after and come in a variety of colors. The California kingsnake is, in fact, one of the most common snakes to own as a pet. They are also not dangerous, which is good. California Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis californiae)įUN FACT: The California kingsnake used to be a subspecies of the common kingsnake, but is now recognized as a separate species.įundamentals: California kingsnakes rarely surpass 3.5 ft in length, and are lighter than their common cousins, above-up to 50 oz. It also eats amphibians, lizards and rodents, which it squeezes to death. But it is immune to most snakes’ venom, so doesn’t have to be too careful. It sometimes eats venomous snakes, so it has to be very careful. It hunts by clamping its teeth around the jaws of its prey. Not a picky animal.ĭiet: The common kingsnake eats other snakes. Habitat: This snake likes open grassy areas but also woodland, desert, foothills, streams, canals and swamps. Some living in the mountains are completely black. The higher above sea level it lives, the thinner its stripes tend to be. The common kingsnake normally has sparse, chain-like white bands. They are also found in Mexico, and have been introduced to the Canary Islands, where their population has already reached 20,000! Maybe they should call it a rabbit snake, instead.Īppearance: Dark background color somewhere in the region of brown-blue or glossy blue-black. Location: Common kingsnakes are endemic to the United States, and found just about everywhere, hence the ‘common’ appellation. That’s quite a broad scope but there are many subspecies to include! It is non-venomous and considered not dangerous.

Awesome.įundamentals: The common kingsnake typically grows to a length of 3-6 ft, and weight 10-80 oz. Most of the black and yellow snakes in this guide are suitable as pets, but not all of them! #1 Common Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula)įUN FACT: Other names include cow sucker, black moccasin, rattlesnake pilot and thunder-and-lightning snake. In it, I will give you information about each snake’s size, weight, location, appearance, habitat, diet, danger level, and whether or not it makes a suitable pet. Mangrove Snake, or Gold-ringed Cat Snake.This guide will introduce you to the following snakes: Not all black and yellow snakes are as they seem-some are, in fact, yellow and black! List of black and yellow snakes in the world Identify it as best you can, but be aware that there are Doppelgangers in the snake world. While there is some truth to this – there are indeed examples where it stands up – it is not entirely watertight.Īs a rule, if you see a snake in the wild, keep a safe distance. The simple idea, presumably gained from a degree of experience, is that if a snake has red, black and yellow stripes, it is whether or not red touches yellow that dictates the danger level of the snake. It’s true! – Well, no, the rhyme isn’t true. There is even a Rhyme to entrench the mythology. Is a black and yellow snake always poisonous? How venomous are black and yellow snakes? Is a yellow snake with black stripes more or less dangerous than a black snake with yellow stripes? What about red stripes? Myths and Misconceptions regarding black and yellow snakesīlack and yellow snakes have a number of myths and misconceptions about them. ‘ longitudinal’-simply running lengthways, from head to tail ‘ dorsal’-running down its spine, like a dorsal fin ‘ speckles’-flecks of color, typically one or two per scale ‘ blotchy’-a sort of patchwork, uneven, streaky pattern

It is important to know what certain keywords mean! Here I will run through a brief list. You might encounter new words (but remember: they’re more afraid of you than you are of them!). Coloration and pattern vary so much in the serpentine world, and with such variance comes a new lexicon. There are dozens more of subspecies of such black and yellow snakes – black snakes with yellow patterns, yellow snakes with black patterns, you name it, they’re out there. Both snakes can be found in the United States and are quite harmless. So what kind of snakes are black and yellow? Well, the most common ones are the garter snakes or the yellow rat snakes.

Movie with lots of snakes in the deserr