Lampropeltis nigra
Key traits and size details for Black Kingsnake.
Length
Weight
Lifespan
The Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis nigra) is the minimalist of the kingsnake set, often dark, glossy, and clean-lined. The appeal is not busy pattern but that polished, almost liquid look, especially on a well-kept adult. In captivity, black kingsnakes offer the familiar kingsnake package: hardy, alert, hungry, and usually manageable with steady handling. They suit keepers who want a strong visual statement without bright color. A black kingsnake in good light can be as dramatic as any morph.
Native and introduced range details for Black Kingsnake.
Explore the highlighted native and introduced range for this species. Hover or tap a country to inspect it on the map.
Black kingsnakes are native to Eastern-central United States, from southern Ohio and adjacent West Virginia south through Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Mississippi and Alabama.
21-32 C
Temperature range
40-60%
Humidity range
Kingsnakes are generally kept with a straightforward North American colubrid gradient: warm basking surface, cooler retreat, and moderate humidity. The setup should offer choices rather than constant intensity, which suits hardy, food-motivated snakes that still rely on secure hides and clean shed conditions.
Reference size-over-age data for Black Kingsnake.
Species reference size over age, built from curated catalog points rather than an individual reptile record.
This chart shows a species reference growth curve, not an individual reptile's recorded measurements.
This metric currently uses a general reference curve rather than sex-specific data. The curve spans 0 to 24 months, rising from 0.2 m to 0.3 m to 0.9 m to 1.2 m.
Housing, feeding, and handling guidance collected in one place.
House Black Kingsnake singly in a very secure enclosure; kingsnakes and milksnakes are active, food-motivated snakes that should not share space with other snakes.
Use the sourced 21-32 C thermal range as the enclosure target. Keep humidity around the sourced 40-60% range and verify it with a digital hygrometer. If UVB is used, match the stored Ferguson Zone 1-2 / UVI 0.0-1.0 target at the basking position.
Prey size should be 1.0-1.25x widest body part.
Use tongs and a clear feeding routine for Black Kingsnake; strong feeding responses are normal, but hands should never smell like prey.
Handle Black Kingsnake after it has fully switched out of feeding mode; calm, confident support reduces musking, tail-rattling, or exploratory biting.
Approved catalog and community photos for Black Kingsnake.
No approved gallery images are available for Black Kingsnake yet.
Browse approved catalog images and community-submitted reptile photos for Black Kingsnake. Community images retain contributor attribution in both the gallery and expanded view.
Create a free account to save these preferences across devices.
Units
Appearance
