Lampropeltis getula nigrita

Taxobox
name = Black Mexican King Snake

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regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
familia = Colubridae
genus = "Lampropeltis"
species = "L. getula"
subspecies = "L. g. nigrita"
trinomial = "Lampropeltis getula nigrita"
trinomial_authority =

The Black Mexican King Snake or "Lampropeltis getula nigrita" is a non-venomous reptile of the colubrid family. Adults are nearly solid black although juveniles may have very small speckles of white or yellow under their chins which fade with age. Its scales resemble black patent leather. They average 3-4 feet in length but 5 feet is not unheard of. Their range is from the Mexican states of Sonora and Sinaloa to a few areas of the U.S. state of Arizona. They are quite docile and make good pets for anyone entering the field of snake keeping. They eat rodents, frogs, toads, lizards and other snakes both venomous and non-venomous.

Captivity

Mexican black king snake are good pets so long as the owner is knowledgeable in snake handling. Generally, they are relatively calm around humans. However, due to their formidable sense of smell, hands smelling of a priorly-handled rodent may confuse the snake into believing the hand is food, so handlers of any snake will usually wash their hands prior to handling them so as to avoid being possibly bitten.