Numerous dark blotches down the back and sides are brown, reddish or greenishbrown. The belly is yellowishtan covered by blocky, brown markings. The prairie kingsnake lives in prairies and open woods, as well as rocky, wooded hillsides. Kingsnakes are known for their ability to eat other snakes, including venomous species, and are immune to the venom of copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. Other foods include lizards, small rodents and, occasionally, birds.
Kingsnakes kill their prey by constriction.
Young or newly hatched prairie kingsnakes often are confused with the venomous copperhead. This handsome snake is generally black. A white or yellow spot in the center of most of the scales causes it to look speckled. The belly is yellowish with some irregular, black markings. The speckled kingsnake can be found under rocks, logs or boards on rocky, wooded hillsides or near farm buildings.