The North Carolina region is made up of estuaries, beaches, rivers, rolling hills, marshes, forests, swamps, and cities. The geography of this state has made it one of the best locations on the planet for outdoor activities. It is one of the most popular locations in the state for hiking and you will enjoy your time when you visit this destination. North Carolina has created a perfect place for different snake species to thrive. Here are some of the kingsnakes in North Carolina.
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Black Racers
These are some of the unique kingsnakes that you are going to find in the state of North Carolina. You must watch out for this species because they are known to be constrictors and they have a wide array of areas of distribution.
You will mostly find them across the state, and, as the name indicates, they are mostly black. While these snakes can be thin, they are some of the biggest snakes in the North Carolina. The black racers can grow up to 6 feet long.
They usually have shiny black scales and narrow heads with round pupils. The bellies of these snakes are usually dark, and they have white scales on their throats. The juvenile racers are usually light and the color darkens as these creatures grow.
If you are not familiar with snakes, then you are likely to confuse these snakes with hognose snakes or the rat snakes found in different areas of the state. The black racers are known to inhabit nearly all the areas in North Carolina.
Further reading: Dangerous animals in North Carolina
They consume a wide array of creatures, such as birds, mice, rats, and frogs. While they present no threats to humans, it is important to understand that these creatures are dangerous because of the kind of bacteria that they usually carry. Hence, they can cause fatal diseases.
Eastern Kingsnake
The eastern kingsnake is found in most of the southern states and North Carolina is not left behind. The eastern kingsnakes are some of the largest snakes that you will find in North Carolina, in places such as Charlotte.
These snakes are unique and they can grow up to 4 feet long. They have heavy bodies with heads that are similar to their necks. Perhaps one of the most interesting features about the snake is that it has a thin tan band that runs up the side of their bodies and across their backs. These snakes are also unique because you will find them with small yellow eyes.
Some of the common habitats that you are going to find the eastern kingsnakes inhabiting include the entire state of North Carolina. You can find them living as far north as the state of New Jersey.
The eastern kingsnake do not swim or climb trees, however, they are famous because they like to live around the water bodies of the region. They are a generalist snake in the region because they can thrive almost in every location in the region. The availability of food largely influences the location that these snakes inhabit. These snakes usually constrict their prey whenever they find them and you should be careful that you should avoid them.
Further reading: Dangerous animals in Virginia
Some of the creatures that these snakes consume include turtles, lizards, mice, rats, and birds. They can eat venomous snakes such as copperheads, cottonmouths, and even rattlesnakes. While they have mild venom and the venom cannot kill humans, the number of bacteria that they obtain from their food can cause fatal diseases.
Northern Mole Kingsnake
The northern mole kingsnake is another unique species that you are going to find in the state of North Carolina. These snakes are unique because they are known to grow up to 40 inches long. They come in different colors such as black, tan, light brown, gray, and dark grey
In some cases, they will have reddish brown blotches on their bodies. These are the subspecies of the yellow-bellied king snakes and they usually like to live near the forest edges. They are difficult to find because they like areas that have furrows and under logs and rocks.
These are nocturnal species, therefore you will find them at night. They usually constrict their prey before consuming them. Some of the common prey include mice, rats, toads, and frogs.
Timber Rattlesnake
As indicated, the state of North Carolina is one of the most forested regions in the south and the climatic conditions of the state have made the growth of forests in the area to be immense, which means that you will find all kinds of trees.
The timber rattlesnake calls the different parts of the state home. The timber rattlesnakes can grow up to 6 feet long and heavy bodies characterize them. These snakes come in different colors and you can find some that are tan, pale, and brown with hexagonal marks on their bodies.
Their heads are usually wide and triangular in nature. They have elliptical eyes with large fangs and heat-sensing pits in their nostrils and eyes. You can find the timber rattlesnakes in a wide array of areas in North Carolina, ranging from coniferous, deciduous, grassland, and forests.
Further reading: Dangerous animals in the United States
The snake is generalist in nature, and you are likely to find them across the state. However, there is little chance that you will find them in urban areas.
Eastern Rat Snake
The eastern rat snake is a species that is found in different parts of North Carolina. They are among the largest non venomous snakes in the state of North Carolina. These snakes can grow up to 6 feet long and they come in some of the most unique colors that you can find in the region.
The eastern rat snakes usually have brown, patterned bodies. In some cases, they are tan, dark brown, and black. The adult snakes usually have white bellies and chins and their back and sides can be dark.
They have wider heads and bodies and they can be similar to the timber rattlesnakes. It is important that you stay far away from these creatures because of the species that they usually consume.
They are known to consume things such as frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and lizards. Also, they have no heat sensing pits unlike their counterparts. You can find these snakes in different areas, such as prairies, grassland areas, wooded areas, forested areas, as well as urban settings.
They usually constrict their prey, and they have some of the strongest muscles among the snakes. You can watch them from a distance and avoid interfering with their habitat because they are likely to attack you at any moment.
Northern Water Snake
The northern water snake is a unique species that you are going to find in the water bodies of North Carolina. They thrive in the inland areas further north of the state. These snakes are considered to be one of the largest snakes in the region and they are known to grow up to 6 feet long and are characterized by heavy bodies.
The northern water snake has similar features to that of the cottonmouth and they lack the white mouth and vertical elliptical pupils that the cottonmouth snakes usually have. These snakes come in a wide range of colors such as brown, dark grey, and black.
The northern water snake does not live in urban areas. As the name indicates, these snakes are some of the semiaquatic species that you will find in the region as they prefer to live near permanent sources of water. Some places that you are going to find these snakes include rivers, ponds, swamps, lakes, streams, and water bodies.
These snakes consume creatures such as frogs, toads, and lizards. These snakes might not be venomous. However, they can be dangerous because whenever they bite, they usually release an anticoagulant in their saliva which makes blood clotting a difficult process.
It is important to understand that when this happens, it usually results in excessive loss of blood because it cannot clot.
Eastern Milk Snake
The eastern milk snake is one of the common kingsnakes that you are going to find thriving in different areas of North Carolina.
They can grow up to 36 inches long and they usually come in different colors such as dark grey, tan, and black.
These snakes are unique because they have a V-shaped mark on the back of their heads.
They prefer to consume mice and rats, and you will probably find them in habitats where these two species thrive. Some of the most common places that you will find this kind of snake include grassland areas, prairies, in barns, rocky outcrops, woodlands, agricultural areas as well as underneath boards, rocks, logs, and other debris around the state.
They also like consuming smaller creatures such as lizards, snakes, bird eggs, toads, frogs, earthworms, and slugs. This means that the different creatures carry a huge number of bacteria and this can cause severe infections to the body.
