Speckled king snakes, Lampropeltis getula holbrooki, have dark brown or black skin with yellow dots on the snake's dorsal and head areas. This snake has two spots on the center of its head, while the dorsal region features one yellow dot per scale. The ventral area, or the snake's belly region, has a light yellow color with dark blotches. While they prefer aquatic habitats -- marshes, slow-moving streams and lakes -- speckled king snakes also live in woodlands and grasslands. As adults, these snakes grow up to 6 feet long.
The black king snake, Lampropeltis getula niger, has yellowish spots on its dorsal and head; however, this snake does not have as many spots as the speckled king snake. Most of the snake's yellow spots form ring patterns. Although it is rare, some black king snakes are solid black. These snakes have smooth skin. When they reach adulthood, black king snakes grow to approximately 3 to 4 feet and have a life expectancy of 24 years in the wild. Similar to the speckled king snake, black king snakes are able to live in a variety of habitats, including riparian areas, forests, prairies and brackish wetlands.
Speckled and black king snakes share several behavior traits. Like other common king snakes, these two snakes include other snakes as a part of their diet, including other king snakes. Both snakes are also able to eat venomous snakes, since they have enzymes which break down the venom from snake bites. Speckled and black king snakes do not have venom, so they rely on constriction, or suffocation, to subdue their prey. Other items on both snakes' diets are small mammals, bird eggs, turtles and amphibians. King snakes emit foul, musky odors and make loud hissing noises to ward off potential predators; sometimes these snakes deceive predators by playing dead.
The speckled and black king snakes are both common in Tennessee and not listed as threatened or endangered. However, it is against Tennessee state law to hunt or remove these snakes from their habitat. According to Vanderbilt University, three environment concerns facing Tennessee are urbanization, air pollution and water degradation. These three factors will impact Tennessee's wildlife specimens, including king snakes.