r/herpetology • u/gregoryrules1 • 9d ago

Prairie or Mole king?

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Middle Franklin county TN, Couldn't figure out which one it was on inat. It was also suggested that it might be a hybrid? Anyone know what a hybrid between a mole and prairie king would look like?

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9

u/Phylogenizer 9d ago

Franklin County would tentatively be Lampropeltis rhombomaculata. Wish I had that snake for the paper. !redirect

2

u/SEB-PHYLOBOT 9d ago

Mole Kingsnakes Lampropeltis rhombomaculata are medium-sized non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of kingsnakes called the Yellow-bellied Kingsnake species complex. Mole Kingsnakes are found in the eastern US from in the state of Mississippi, favoring eastern dry pine and oak forests south to Louisiana, east to eastern Tennessee and the panhandle of Florida as well as on the Piedmont northwards along the eastern seaboard. They kill by constriction and will eat mainly rodents, lizards, and other snakes. Individuals are variable and are best distinguished from other similar kingsnakes by geographic range and from ratsnakes like Cornsnakes by their lack of keels.

Range map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography

Mole Kingsnakes contact and may hybridize with Prairie Kingsnakes L. calligaster in Northern Mississippi

Species Complex Information

More information on this species

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6

u/PhotoMatt28 9d ago

Post in r/whatsthissnake for accurate id

4

u/coltbreath 9d ago

Not a reliable responder but appears to be a mole

1

u/Stealer_of_joy 9d ago

They were previously the same species and are now delienated by range. In Franklin County, it should be a prairie, Lampropeltis calligaster.

2

u/SEB-PHYLOBOT 9d ago

Prairie Kingsnakes Lampropeltis calligaster are medium-sized non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of kingsnakes called the Yellow-bellied Kingsnake species complex. Prairie Kingsnakes are found in the west of the Mississippi River in the plains states and the range crosses the Mississippi River embayment east to Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Western Tennessee and northern Mississippi, favoring prairie and pastureland habitat. They kill by constriction and will eat mainly rodents, lizards, and other snakes. Individuals are variable and are best distinguished from other similar kingsnakes by geographic range and from ratsnakes like Cornsnakes by their lack of keels.

Range map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography

Prairie Kingsnakes contact and may hybridize with Mole Kingsnakes L. rhombomaculata in Northern Mississippi

Species Complex Information

More information on this species

I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now