Eastern Kingsnake

Natural Habitat

A wide variety of habitats including forests, swamps, cultivated fields, and suburban areas. Often found in areas with ample cover like logs, rocks, or debris.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous. Eastern Kingsnakes are constrictors and are known to eat other snakes (including venomous ones like copperheads and rattlesnakes, to whose venom they are immune), rodents, birds, bird eggs, lizards, and amphibians.

Behavior Patterns

Primarily diurnal but can be active at night during warmer periods. They are solitary and non-aggressive, though they may rattle their tail or release musk when threatened. They are known for their distinctive pattern of black with white or yellow chain-like bands.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits: They play a crucial role in controlling populations of rodents and other snakes, including venomous species, making them beneficial to ecosystems and sometimes to humans for pest control. Potential Risks: Harmless to humans and non-venomous. They will bite if provoked, but their bite is not medically significant.

Identified on: 10/25/2025