Kind of a repeat on this one, but I still wanted to feature it to show what a full-grown adult looks like (the one on the right, I mean.) It’s been hotter than hell here the past couple of weeks, making even being outside uncomfortable and actually a bit risky, thus I had fewer opportunities to snag something of interest. So we have this little girl (I think, anyway):
That’s an adult eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula,) of which we’ve seen a quite small juvenile before. The Girlfriend was the one that spotted it, though she’s not fond of snakes at all and gave the barest description as she maintained a safe distance, at least until it was in hand, and then agreed to get the photos – she’s fine with a close approach as long as I’m in control of the snake. This one was quite impressive, likely 1.5 meters or so in length, and behaved herself remarkably well; The Girlfriend told me that the snake’s tail was vibrating in typical warning fashion as I picked her up, but I was barely restraining her, only keeping her supported as she tried moving along, so the warning signal ceased after only a few seconds, and she never made the slightest attempt to bite.
I’m saying “she” because the snake displayed a trait that often denotes female: the sudden tapering of the body girth at the tail after it passes the vent/cloaca, vaguely visible here at the point of my elbow. The males usually display a uniform taper all the way along, though these traits aren’t dependable ways to sex a snake; that requires a specific reptile probe, which should be of an appropriate size for the specimen so an entire set is recommended, and I don’t handle enough snakes nor have the need to accurately determine sex, so I’ve never bothered. The Girlfriend wanted to show how the snake’s tail was gripping my elbow for leverage, and this image shows the back coloration (in contrast to the belly in the previous pic,) so it works for me. But then I took the camera from her for some detailed portraits.
They really are gorgeous snakes and I’m always pleased to see them, but more so when they’re this size. I held her long enough to get adequate photos, and then released her back where she’d been found. She made another appearance a few days later, slinking alongside the house near the kitchen window, so she’s apparently staying in the area. We’ll see if any newborns turn up in a few weeks (or if I stumble across the eggs someplace.)