king snake

English - English

Definition of king snake in English English dictionary

Any of various nonvenomous constricting New World snakes of the genus Lampropeltis, having a black or brown body with white, yellow, or reddish markings and feeding principally on rodents. Any of seven species of snake (genus Lampropeltis, family Colubridae) found in numerous habitats from southeastern Canada to Ecuador. They kill by constriction; named for their practice of eating other snakes, they also take small mammals, amphibians, birds, and birds' eggs. They are mainly terrestrial and relatively slow-moving. Strikingly marked and smooth-scaled, they have a small head and are usually less than 4 ft (1.2 m) long, though some specimens may approach 7 ft (2 m). The common king snake, found throughout the U.S. and in northern Mexico, is usually black or dark brown, variously blotched, ringed, or speckled with yellow or white

any of numerous nonvenomous North American constrictors; feed on other snakes and small mammals

Related Terms

kingsnake

Any of various colubrid snake of the genus Lampropeltis

Hyphenation

King snake

Turkish pronunciation

kîng sneyk

Pronunciation

/ˈkəɴɢ ˈsnāk/ /ˈkɪŋ ˈsneɪk/