Herpetofauna: One Life's List

Lampropeltis getula holbrooki X nigra
Speckled - Black Kingsnake intergrade
(Shawnee Kingsnake)

Union Co. Illinois. May 1994

The kingsnakes down in southern Illinois are intergrades between the Black and Speckled Kingsnakes. Shawnee Kingsnakes, I like to call them.  They do not have spots on each scale like a true holbrooki, but they still sport quite a few. These animals are quite beautiful.

They are a very common snake in the area, especially around the fringes of farm fields, and around junk piles and abandoned houses.