Eastern Black Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula nigra
Since 2003 Phil Peak and I have observed and recorded 760 live Black Kingsnakes in scores of different Kentucky counties. There is a lot of variation out there and I sure like them all, but at the end of the day I have limited space and resources and am only able to keep a handful of specimens. It took some time, but I soon realized that I like the ones around my home town the best of all. What I like so much about the Black Kingsnakes around Louisville are that they have the least amount of pattern and markings and are also a kind of shiny black coloration not seen in all examples of this species.

The captive hatched specimen in the photo is only around 30 inches long but has already lost all signs of the juvenile markings and has already developed the kind of shiny black coloration that makes these my favorite. I have noticed that a lot of my fellow field herpers tend to appreciate the animals that live in their own backyards too, and I think this is great. In addition to the natural beauty that these local snakes have, all of us who spend time hunting snakes also see something else when we look at our local favorites. Let’s face the truth here, life is tough. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can tell you right now that when I look at the snake in the picture I remember the day when I was out in the field with my good friend Phil and we flipped an old rotten board and found the clutch of eggs that this snake hatched out of. On that day there were no jobs, no family dramas, no bills to pay, and no cell phones ringing. Instead the sun was shining and I was a free man out in the woods breathing fresh air and doing what I wanted to do for once. I like that.