NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Common Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula (Linnaeus, 1766)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
This snake was found predating a diamondback terrapin nest.
MH Herpetology · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
Lampropeltis getula, commonly known as the eastern kingsnake, the common kingsnake, and the chain kingsnake, is a species of harmless snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. It has long been a favorite among collectors. Four subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. Each of these taxa had previously been described as distinct species for more than a century.
Wikipedia contributors, Lampropeltis getula; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:53:19.091844+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Lampropeltis getula (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Common name
- Common Kingsnake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Lampropeltis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyColubridae
- subfamilyColubrinae
- genusLampropeltis
- speciesLampropeltis getula (Linnaeus, 1766)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Lampropeltis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Honduran milk snakeLampropeltis abnorma (Bocourt, 1886) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Grey-banded KingsnakeLampropeltis alterna (Brown, 1901) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Black Desert Kingsnake [nigrita]Lampropeltis californiae (Blainville, 1835) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Prairie KingsnakeLampropeltis calligaster (Harlan, 1827) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Short-tailed SnakeLampropeltis extenuata (Brown, 1890) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Black KingsnakeLampropeltis nigra (Yarrow, 1882) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Atlantic Central American MilksnakeLampropeltis polyzona Cope, 1860 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Arizona Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis pyromelana (Cope, 1866) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Desert KingsnakeLampropeltis splendida (Baird & Girard, 1853) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Eastern MilksnakeLampropeltis triangulum (Lacépède, 1789) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Mexican MilksnakeLampropeltis annulata Kennicott, 1860 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Mexican KingsnakeLampropeltis leonis (Günther, 1893) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Triaeniopholis arenarius Werner, 1924 Werner, 1924 | synonym |
| Coronella getulus var. pseudogetulus Jan, 1865 Jan, 1865 | synonym |
| Coluber getulus Linnaeus, 1766 Linnaeus, 1766 | synonym |
| Lampropeltis getulus goini Neill & Allen, 1949 Neill & Allen, 1949 | synonym |
| Lampropeltis getula meansi Krysko & Judd, 2006 Krysko & Judd, 2006 | synonym |
| Triaenopholis arenarius Werner, 1924 Werner, 1924 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Lampropeltis&species=getula Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3S4VP. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.