
Lampropeltis getula: I took a shot of this captive specimen at the Bluebonnet Swamp Recreational Area in Baton Rouge. This is an old pic (circa 2/99), and you'll be getting a few of these until I get in gear on this project. In any event, this beast is known as the Speckled Kingsnake. Kingsnakes are ophidiophagous, meaning that they eat other snakes. They occur in a variety of habitats in Louisiana, but highlands surrounding marshy areas are favored real estate. [source: Dundee and Rossman. 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. LSU Press, Baton Rouge]
©1999 Brian R. Warren