---
title: "Desert Kingsnake"
description: "Lampropeltis splendida — Reptiles. The desert kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) is a species of kingsnake native to Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, United States."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/desert-kingsnake
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Desert Kingsnake

> Lampropeltis splendida — Reptiles. The desert kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) is a species of kingsnake native to Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, United States.

- Scientific name: *Lampropeltis splendida*
- Category: `reptiles` (Reptiles)
- Habitats: `zoo` (Zoo & pets), `desert` (Desert)
- iNaturalist observations: 2285
- Wikidata: [Q3216844](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3216844)
- iNaturalist taxon: [104004](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/104004)

## Names

- en: Desert Kingsnake
- de: Wüstenkettennatter
- es: Falsa coralillo real del desierto
- nl: Desert kingsnake

## Countries with the most observations

US (1900), MX (159)

## Summary

The desert kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) is a species of kingsnake native to Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico, United States. It is not venomous, colored yellow and black. The desert kingsnake's diet consists of rodents, lizards, and smaller snakes, including rattlesnakes. They normally grow 3–4 ft long, but have been known to grow up to 6.8 ft.  They are docile creatures when confronted by humans.  If they do not try to escape, often they "play dead" by flipping over onto their backs and lying motionless. Some who domesticate kingsnakes, such as ranchers, do so in the hopes that the kingsnakes will feed on other…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_kingsnake

## Photo

![Desert Kingsnake](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/desert-kingsnake/medium.jpg)

Photo: Chris (CP) and Pamela (PP) Pipes · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/132419175

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/desert-kingsnake?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).