Prairie Kingsnake
Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster
Size
32–42 in
Status
Uncommon
Venomous
No
Region
Southern Indiana
A harmless, mild-mannered kingsnake of grasslands and field edges that quietly controls rodent populations. Often overlooked.
Identification
A tan to gray snake with brown or reddish-brown blotches down the back and smaller spots on the sides, sometimes with a faint arrow or spearpoint mark on the neck. Older adults can become dark and dull. Adults reach about 3–3.5 feet.
Habitat & Diet
Favors open habitats — prairies, pastures, old fields, and their edges — where it often stays underground in rodent burrows. It constricts small mammals, other reptiles, and their eggs.
Conservation in Indiana
Uncommon and secretive in Indiana, tied to grassland and field habitats. It is beneficial around farms as a rodent predator.
Similar Species & Taxonomy
The Prairie Kingsnake is grayish with brown, dark-edged blotches down the back and can suggest a milksnake or young ratsnake; its smooth, glossy scales and blotches that dim with age set it apart. A kingsnake (family Colubridae). The Prairie or mole kingsnake, Lampropeltis calligaster; the mole-kingsnake group has at times been divided among several subspecies and species.
United States Range Map Distribution
Distribution in Indiana
