Black Kingsnake
Lampropeltis nigra
Size
36–48 in
Status
Locally common
Venomous
No
Region
S & W-C Indiana
One of Indiana's most distinctive black snakes — glossy, speckled, and completely harmless to people. It is famous for eating other snakes, including venomous ones.
Identification
A robust, glossy black snake with scattered white or yellow speckles, heaviest along the sides. The black-and-white "piano key" bars on its lip scales set it apart from Indiana's other black snakes. Adults reach 3–4 feet, with a white belly checkered in slate.
Habitat & Diet
Favors overgrown fields, rocky hillsides, and woodland edges near wetlands, often staying under cover. It eats rodents, reptile eggs, and other snakes — and, immune to their venom, even copperheads and rattlesnakes.
Conservation in Indiana
Locally common in southern Indiana, though its secretive habits make it easy to miss. Like all Indiana snakes, it is protected from wanton killing and benefits from healthy field and wetland habitats.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
Glossy black adults are most often confused with the North American Racer and the Gray Ratsnake. Kingsnakes have smooth, shiny scales, often with faint pale speckling or chain marks; racers are slender and matte with large eyes; ratsnakes have weakly keeled scales and a loaf-shaped body. A kingsnake (family Colubridae). Long treated as a subspecies of the Common Kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula nigra, before being elevated to the full species L. nigra.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
