“A subspecies of the common kingsnake.”

The Mexican black kingsnake is one of the most popular snakes to keep as a pet due to how easy it is to take care of and the patent-leather beauty of its black scales. Even when it’s not in the house, residents of Arizona and the Sonoran Desert are grateful that it eats its share of rodents and rattlesnakes. Read on to learn more about this reptile.

Four Mexican Black Kingsnake Amazing Facts

Here are four amazing facts about Mexican black kingsnakes.

1. The scales have an irridescent sheen to them and if examined under light reveal all the colors of the rainbow.

2. It’s called the kingsnake because it comes from a family of snakes that eat other snakes, including venomous ones. The Mexican black kingsnake also eats birds, eggs, lizards and rodents.

3. Wild Mexican black kingsnakes sometimes breed with the California kingsnake or the desert kingsnake.

4. Because it is ophiophagous, a pet Mexican black kingsnake shouldn’t be kept in an enclosure with other snakes, even those of its own species.

Where To Find Mexican Black Kingsnakes

The Mexican black kingsnake is found in the Sonoran Desert and parts of Arizona in habitats where there is lush vegetation. It is popular as a pet and can live happily and healthily if it is housed in a large size tank or enclosure and its dietary and environmental requirements are taken care of.

Mexican Black Kingsnake Scientific Name

The scientific name of the Mexican black kingsnake is Lampropeltis getula nigrita. The Lampropeltis genus includes a great variety of snakes, including the rainbow colored scarlet kingsnake and milk snake. Lampropeltis comes from the Greek words lampros, which means “shiny” and pelte which means “shield.” This refers to the porcelain-like gloss of the snake’s dorsal scales. Getula refers to the Gaetuli of North Africa, who wore either clothes with a chain pattern or chain mail that reminded people of the snake’s shiny scales. Nigrita is Latin for “black color.”

The Different Types of Mexican Black Kingsnake

The Mexican black kingsnake is itself a subspecies of the common kingsnake, L. getula. This makes it one of nine subspecies. The others are the California kingsnake, the Florida kingsnake, the eastern kingsnake, the speckled kingsnake, the black kingsnake, the desert kingsnake, Brooks’ kingsnake and the Apalachicola Lowlands kingsnake.

Mexican Black Kingsnake Population & Conservation Status

The exact numbers of the Mexican black kingsnakes are not known, but the snake seems to be fairly common in its range. Its conservation status is not evaluated. However, conservationists consider the parent species, the common kingsnake, under concern due to the declining numbers of the Florida kingsnake.

How To Identify Mexican Black Kingsnakes: Appearance and Description

These beautiful snakes are deep, dark brown all over, both dorsally and ventrally. The scales are wonderfully irridescent under the light, and if you look, you will see flashes of rainbow colors. Baby snakes have yellow spots, but these fade and are gone by the time the snake is mature. Full grown snakes are 3 to 4 feet in length and weigh 3 to 4 pounds. They have smallish oval heads that aren’t distinct from the neck, small black eyes and a slender body.

Mexican Black Kingsnake Venom: How Dangerous Are They?

Mexican black kingsnakes lack venom and are not dangerous to humans. They kill their prey by constricting them to death as opposed to envenomating them. They make good pets and can live as long as 30 years with the proper care.

Mexican Black Kingsnake Behavior and Humans

Mexican black kingsnakes are, like other kingsnakes, diurnal. This means they’re active during the day, especially during earliest spring to late fall. After this, they hibernate in protected places, including tree stumps, hollow logs, burrows, crevices and caves. They are known to bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature, but they mostly hide under fallen leaves. The snake glides gracefully over the ground but can also climb trees and is a competent swimmer.

Mexican black kingsnakes are known to be docile, but if they are handled when they don’t want to be, they may discharge foul-smelling substances or bite. Because no venom is present in the bite, the bite is harmless and simply needs to be cleaned and dressed.

Even if it’s not kept as a pet, the Mexican black kingsnake is beneficial, for it keeps down the population of rodents and dangerous rattlesnakes. L. g. nigrita is resistant to the venom of rattlers and other poisonous snakes.

Like a lot of snakes, male Mexican black kingsnakes fight over females by entwining their bodies and trying to pin their rival to the ground. The winner mates with the waiting female and the loser lies there with his head down. The female can mate with more than one male and not all of her babies necessarily have the same father. The breeding season begins in March and lasts till August.

About 40 to 65 days after mating, the female lays between three and 24 eggs in a rotting tree stump, a pile of sawdust or a decaying log. If food is abundant, she may lay more than one clutch in a season. The baby snakes hatch after about 60 to 62 days, and though neither parent cares for them they stay in their nest until their first molt. This happens after about a week. After molting, the baby snake goes off on its own.

Female Mexican black kingsnakes are ready to breed when they’re between two and four years old, and males are ready when they’re between one and four.

Though the snake isn’t the cuddliest of animal companions, it does beguile with its ease of care, mild disposition and the glossy beauty of its scales. The price of one full grown snake is a bit high at around $200, and a prospective owner will need to factor in the price of a tank or enclosure, the price of food, which is usually a steady supply of mice or chicks and the price of other necessities such as sources of heat and light, substrate, decor that replicates the snake’s preferred habitat and veterinary care.

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