Fun Mexican Black Kingsnake Facts For Kids

The Mexican black kingsnake, also known as the desert black kingsnake or the western black kingsnake, is one of nine subspecies of the common kingsnake. It is a terrestrial snake.

It is interesting to know that the Lampropeltis getula nigrita is immune to the venom of some of the most venomous snakes found in the wild and it is thus able to exhibit cannibalistic behavior by eating other snakes!

They are ophiophagous in nature and these snakes are often kept in captivity as they are very easy to handle and require simple feeding. These are not shy snakes and they are great for beginner snake owners.

Though they are not similar to rattlesnakes in many ways, they do exhibit behavior similar to rattlesnakes when they feel threatened. These snakes are good swimmers and climbers too. These snakes are comfortable being close to humans and may be found in rural and suburban yards.

Like reading about this snake? Let's move on and find out more interesting facts! If you like reading about this, you may also like reading about the California kingsnake and the indigo snake.

Mexican Black Kingsnake Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Mexican black kingsnake?

As the name suggests, Mexican black kingsnakes are kingsnakes belonging to the phylum Chordata, order Squamata, suborder Serpentes, species L. getula, and subspecies L. g. nigrita. They are Colubrids like milk snakes, and Colubrids are the largest family of snakes.

What class of animal does a Mexican black kingsnake belong to?

Mexican black kingsnakes belong to the class Reptilia, that is, they are reptiles.

How many Mexican black kingsnakes are there in the world?

Mexican black kingsnakes are found in moderate numbers in the wild, including in the deserts of Arizona. Their exact population is currently unknown.

Where does a Mexican black kingsnake live?

This reptile is native to North America. Mexican black kingsnakes are native to the southwestern United States, the Sonora Desert, the northern Sinaloa Desert, Mexico, California, and Arizona.

What is a Mexican black kingsnake's habitat?

The Mexican black kingsnake's natural habitat includes rocky, semi-desert regions, semi-arid grasslands, and shrublands.

Who do Mexican black kingsnakes live with?

Mexican black kingsnakes are solitary reptiles. Members of this species interact with each other only to mate. They are highly territorial and avoid living in groups.

How long does a Mexican black kingsnake live?

A Mexican black kingsnake's natural lifespan is anywhere between 10-20 years. These snakes may also live up to 30 years in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

Mexican black kingsnakes are oviparous, that is, they lay eggs. Their mating season occurs in spring when males start their search for females.

Often, males compete with each other if they are in the same area. About 40-65 days after mating, the female lays a clutch containing up to 24 eggs.

A female may lay one to two clutches of eggs in a year and sheds her skin before laying these eggs. Females may choose not to breed if food is scarce, though they usually breed every year. The hatchlings break out of the eggs after 50-60 days of incubation.

They immediately search for food and are left to take care of themselves. Hatchlings mature at around two to three years of age.

What is their conservation status?

Mexican black kingsnakes are Not Evaluated in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. However, the species of common kingsnakes are listed in the US Federal List as a 'Species of Concern'.

Mexican Black Kingsnake Fun Facts

What do Mexican black kingsnakes look like?

Mexican black kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula nigrita) have small slender **** with bluish shiny scales. Their color is either black or a deep chocolate brown color.

Young snakes of this subspecies have yellow or white spots on their scales which disappear with time as they shed their skin. Their head and neck are the same sizes. They have small black eyes and no feet.

Females are generally thicker than males. Their tail is thinner than the rest of their ****, but the girth along the rest of their **** is uniform. If viewed under sunlight, often an entire rainbow is visible in the scales of this serpent!

They are the only kingsnakes without a distinguished pattern on their ****, a trait that helps them to stand out. They have smooth dorsal scales.

How cute are they?

Mexican black kingsnakes are beautiful serpents but they are not typically considered to be cute.

How do they communicate?

When a Mexican black kingsnake feels threatened it hisses and rattles its tail like a rattlesnake. If it is seized by a predator, it emits a foul-smelling musk or defecates to divert the predator. They may bite as well. These snakes are usually calm and their main communication channels are visual and chemical.

Their perception channels are visual, chemical, acoustic, and vibrational. These snakes also communicate through pheromones and scent marks. For example, in the mating season, males search for a female using pheromone trails.

How big is a Mexican black kingsnake?

Adult Mexican black kingsnakes are 3-4 ft (91-121 cm) in length. Hatchlings are around 7 in (18 cm) in length and these snakes have no feet. They are smaller in size when compared to other snakes like pythons.

How fast can a Mexican black kingsnake move?

Mexican black kingsnakes can move pretty fast, but their exact speed is not currently known. Beginners need to be careful while handling these snakes as they also have a tendency to escape.

How much does a Mexican black kingsnake weigh?

This subspecies of the common kingsnake weighs 3-4 lb (1.4-1.8 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

Males and females of the species do not have separate names.

What would you call a baby Mexican black kingsnake?

A baby Mexican black kingsnake is called a hatchling much like babies of other snake species.

What do they eat?

This animal's diet includes rodents like mice, rats, other snakes (like rattlesnakes and vipers), lizards, birds, eggs, and frogs.

Are they poisonous?

Mexican black kingsnakes are non-venomous snakes. Their bites may hurt but they are not poisonous to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

Mexican black kingsnakes are very popular pets. Both wild-caught adults and hatchlings are kept as pets.

Wild-caught Mexican black kingsnake care is different for adults and hatchlings, but overall Mexican black kingsnake care is not too hazardous as these snakes tend to be docile once they are tamed successfully.

Some things need to be kept in mind while keeping these snakes captive, including the substrate, ambient temperature, warm light, diet, and feeding. These snakes cannot be kept with other snakes and they are pretty active so, if caged as juveniles, they may be temperamental.

They have specific tank requirements while in captivity. The required tank size is 36 x 18 x 16 in (91 x 46 x 41 cm) for adults.

Glass or plastic tanks should be used. They can be fed a diet of frozen mice or other rodents but owners should be aware that these snakes may suffer from infections, intestinal parasites, and auto cannibalism.

The humidity requirement for these snakes is between 40-60 %. The temperature for the basking spot must be between 88-90 F (31-32 C).

If the temperature is too high or too low it may sadly **** the snake. Some UV lighting is essential to boost the immunity of the snake and newspaper, paper towels, and dry leaves may be used as a substrate.

Any ingredient that has oil should never be placed within the tank. A 4 in (10.16 cm) deep substrate layer containing aspen and moss is ideal.

It is essential to maintain an optimum photocycle of 12 hours dark and 12 hours light and a water bowl should always be placed inside the tank. Hatchlings may be fed a meal every five to seven days but adults need to be fed proper-sized meals every seven to 10 days.

These feeding times may vary a bit if the snakes are breeding. A hydrometer, thermometer, and heat mat are also essential for their safekeeping.

Did you know...

The beginning of the Mexican king snake's scientific name, 'Lampropeltis' is derived from two Greek words 'lampro' and 'pelte' which mean 'shiny shield'.

Both young and adult snakes of this species shed their skin.

This species is active during the day depending on how warm the ambient temperature is and utilizes every opportunity to find a meal by hunting rodents hiding in holes and burrows in the ground. They may not be so active at night.

However, some snakes of this sub-species may be nocturnal from time to time, owing to high temperatures during the day.

These species are skilled and opportunistic hunters. As a result, they are important for the health of their ecosystems as they control the number of rodents and snakes in an area.

These wild snakes are constrictors who coil around their prey. They are some of the most powerful constrictor snakes and therefore they do not require much use of their teeth or jaws, even when feeding on their prey.

There is no visible **** dimorphism in this species. Male and female snakes are similar in size.

These snakes can be bought at a price of $200-$250.

These snakes are ectothermic reptiles. That means they need heat from outside sources to maintain their **** temperature.

There are several subspecies of kingsnakes, who often overlap and breed with each other. Other common kingsnakes include the Lampropeltis getula getula (the eastern kingsnake), the Lampropeltis getula floridana (the Florida kingsnake), and the Lampropeltis getula californiae (the California kingsnake).

These snakes are eaten by many predators like hawks and larger snakes.

These reptiles love burrowing!

These snakes are immune to the venom of many other snakes, including rattlesnakes. This means that they can eat other snakes as prey as their venom does not impact them.

Do Mexican black kingsnakes have teeth?

Yes, a Mexican black kingsnake has teeth. They use these to eat the animals in their diet, but not to **** their prey.

Are Mexican black kingsnakes aggressive?

Mexican black kingsnakes may turn aggressive if they feel threatened. As pets in captivity, they may bite handlers because of their high prey drive rather than aggression.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these sand lizard facts and coral snake facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Mexican black kingsnake coloring pages.