REVISION OF THE KING SNAKES. 53 



culturist and should receive full protection. When their prey is 

 large enough to struggle eJffectively, the King snake coils about it 

 in true constrictor style, but if it is small or dead it may swallow it 

 directly. Definite food records are few. Dunn has captured several 

 that contained mice. In captivity they have been observed to 

 eat Tliamnopliis hutleri, T. sirtaliSj CavpTiofliis amoenus, house 

 mice, dead or alive, and even their relatives, L. getulus Jiolhrooki 

 and L. calligaster. Two of the latter kept by the writer were eaten, 

 one by accident (both starting to swallow the same mouse), and 

 the other apparently by intent, although they had both lived in 

 the same cage for more than a year. Hurter (1911, 186) records 

 the Black snake, Bascanion constrictor, as having been eaten in 

 captivity, and Dunn mentions Heterodon contortrix, Natrix siyedoUj 

 N. septemvittataj and the Chipping Sparrow. 



By far the best account is given by Wright. Discussing the King 

 snake, as he found it in the Okefinokee Swamp, he writes (1915, 169) : 



The natives recognize its good nature and consider it harmless, though the king 

 of the snakes. They are aware of its usefulness as an enemy of moccasins and rattle- 

 snakes and report several combats which always resulted successfully for the King 

 snake, but these unlettered people, unlike many sentimental wTiterSj do not hold 

 that the King snake deliberately searches for the poisonous snakes in particular. 

 We, as they, believe it the enemy of every species of snake in the swamp, preying of 

 course more on the terrestrial species of its own haunts. All the smaller snakes suffer, 

 and of the larger species, the blacksnake and spreading adder are the commonest 

 prey. It is surely a good "pilot" to the naturalist whenever one finds it digging, 

 for it almost invariably means other snakes, eggs, or some good capture. It will 

 seldom fail to react per schedule if you loosely hold it in one hand and a live black- 

 snake in the other. Almost before you can predict the outcome, the former may be 

 far within its captor — a demonstration we have tried more than once in the field. 

 It is especially fond of young snakes. One of our specimens had taken a newly 

 hatched Heterodon and the natives recounted several occasions when they had found 

 it working beneath a log for what proved a brood of young snakes. We do not doubt 

 but that it feeds on mice, rats, and other small mammals, but of such evidence we 

 found little in the swamp. Possibly, in early spring or in the fall these are more its 

 reliance. The principal food of this species is turtles' eggs, with snakes or their 

 eggs a second choice. Four of our specimens had eaten Florida cooters' (Chrysemys 

 floridana) eggs, which they dug out of the sand, and two had mud turtle (Cinosternum 

 pennsylvanicum) eggs in their stomachs. Mr. Francis Harper tells us that he and 

 David Lee almost stepped on a King snake. After their recovery, what should 

 they find but a Kinosternon digging in sand, probably preparatory to laying, and the 

 King snake was close at hand. In fact, so addicted are they to this g%% diet, that 

 the natives consider that it is a common happening to find the snake awaiting the 

 Qgg deposition. Unless it be the Florida bear, there is no form in the swamp which 

 eats turtles' eggs in such quantity as the King snake. It will take a whole nest of 

 eggs at one time, as many as 14 being found in the stomach of one snake. 



This species, like the other King snakes, is oviparous, and (Ditmars, 

 1907, 363) ^'deposits from 10 to 24 eggs, which require from five 

 to six weeks to complete the incubation." Wright (1915, 170) 

 says: ^^Mr. Harper reports a pair of them mating on May 19, 1912, 



