The King Snake

A very special young adult nature novel about the life and adventures in survival of a North Carolina king snake, from the time of his hatching until he becomes adult. The story shows the way he lives, how he catches and eats his prey (including other snakes, even poisonous ones), his value in the balance of nature and the fascinating events of his life, shedding new light and understanding about the lives of snakes, which, despite their value to man, are so often misunderstood and deliberately killed just because of what they are or what they are perceived to be.

Traces the major activities of a king snake as he grows from eleven inches at "hatch-out" to 6 1/2 feet eleven years later.

Describes the physical characteristics, different species, and common behavior of king snakes.

Introduces the physical characteristics, habits, natural environment of the king snake and its interactions with human beings.

Describes the physical attributes, habitat, and hunting and mating methods of king snakes.

Introduces the habits and interactions with human beings of the king snake.

The snakes of the genus Lampropeltis have long been in a state of great confusion from the systematic standpoint. Only about one-third of the forms now recognized have been at all clearly defined; of the rest some have been known from only a few specimens each, some have been unnaturally divided among several forms, and others have been included under a single name.