Lampropeltis getula ( Linnaeus 1766 )

Pyron, Alexander & Burbrink, Frank T., 2009, Systematics of the Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula; Serpentes: Colubridae) and the burden of heritage in taxonomy, Zootaxa 2241, pp. 22-32 : 24-25

Lampropeltis getula ( Linnaeus 1766)

( Figs. 1–3 )

Eastern Kingsnake

Holotype: Unknown.

Type Locality: ‘Carolina’ ( Linnaeus 1766), restricted to Charleston, SC by Klauber (1948) Etymology: Specific epithet refers to the Getulian people of northern Morocco, whose tribal insignia bears a resemblance to the ‘chain’ pattern of the kingsnakes of the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Synonymy: This species comprises the previously recognized subspecies L. g getula , L. g. floridana and L. g. meansi, as well as the historically recognized subspecies L. g. goini and L. g. sticticeps. The nominate subspecies was first designated by Cope (1875).

Diagnosis: The Eastern Kingsnake ( L. getula ) is a medium- to large-bodied constrictor, the largest in the genus Lampropeltis with a maximum total length of 208.3cm, though the average adult size range is 90– 122cm ( Conant & Collins 1998). Scales are smooth, anal plate single, and individuals typically exhibit 19–25 scale rows at midbody. Ventral scales number 200 to 223 in both sexes, while subcaudals number 45–58 in males and 37–55 in females ( Blaney 1977). The Eastern Kingsnake ranges from New Jersey to the Florida keys in the east, and west to the western panhandle of Florida and southeastern Alabama ( Fig. 2 ). The species L. getula can be distinguished from all other related snakes primarily on the basis of color pattern, which can be divided into two primary variants. From northern Florida to New Jersey, individuals typically exhibit a dark brown or black ground color, which is punctuated by 17–36 narrow crossbands of white, yellow, or reddish yellow ( Blaney 1977), giving the appearance of a ‘chain’ pattern ( Fig. 3 ). In peninsular Florida, the bands increase in both number (22–54) and width, and the ground color lightens considerably to a light brown color with yellow stippling ( Blaney 1977; Fig. 3 ). Isolated populations of other aberrant color pattern variants can be found in the panhandle of Florida ( Krysko & Judd 2006). The shift between the Eastern Kingsnake and the Mississippi lineage is fairly abrupt, and previous authors have noted the narrow transition zone and apparent lack of morphological intermediacy in southern Alabama and central Georgia ( Fig. 2 , 3 ; Blanchard 1921; Blaney 1977; Mount 1980).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Chronogram showing genetic structure, geographic location, and divergence times of the five species in the Lampropeltis getula complex, from Pyron & Burbrink (2009 c). The dates and depth of the terminal triangles represent the time of the most recent common ancestor of that lineage, while the height of the triangles is proportional to the number of samples in the clade. Dates at nodes represent the mean and 95 % credible interval for that node, while numbers above branches represent Bayesian posterior probability support. Divergence times and support values are from Pyron & Burbrink (2009 c).

FIGURE 2. Range map of the five lineages recovered by Pyron & Burbrink (2009 c), corresponding to five distinct species in North America. Note the zones of sympatry between L. californiae and L. splendida, and L. nigra and L. getula.

FIGURE 3. Primary color pattern variants of five species of the Lampropeltis getula group. Many additional variants occur regionally; these are simply the primary color pattern classes of the five species. See Blaney (1977), Conant & Collins (1998), Stebbins (2003), and Krysko & Judd (2006) for more detailed descriptions of color pattern variation. Photograps of L. getula (R), L. nigra (R), L. holbrooki (L), and L. californiae are compliments S. L. & J. T. Collins, CNAH. The photograph of L. holbrooki (R) is compliments D. B. Shepard, CUNY-CSI.